Miller-Abbott tube

The Twentieth Century

Published in Arturo Castiglioni, A History of Medicine, 2019

Functional tests of the liver, of the pancreas, and of the stomach have been markedly extended. The Miller-Abbott tube or balloon for overcoming intestinal obstruction is a typical example of the application of physiological principles to a mechanical device. Gastroenterology, which is half medical and half surgical, is marked in its progress by the very wide extension of the field of surgery. These advances include not only the now fully accepted subtotal gastrectomy for ulcer, but also total gastrectomy for new growths of the upper part of the stomach and of the lower oesophagus, and such massive procedures as removal of the head of the pancreas in one stage for carcinoma, and subtotal colectomies for colonic diseases.

Intentional ingestion of elemental mercury requiring multi-step decontamination and prophylactic appendectomy: a case report and treatment proposal

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Journal Information

Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2018

Andrea Michielan, Azzurra Schicchi, Roberto Cappuccio, Davide Lonati, Francesca Lamboglia, Alessandra Vitalba, Alessandro Caroli, Marta Crevani, Carlo A. Locatelli, Giorgio Betetto

To date, several cases of acute elemental mercury ingestion have been reported. Sources are generally clinical thermometers or old mercury-weighted enteric tubes for intestinal decompression (Miller–Abbott tube) [5]. Normally, when accidentally ingested, the amount of mercury is minimal and it does not require medical attention.

Miller-Abbott tube

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The Twentieth Century

Intentional ingestion of elemental mercury requiring multi-step decontamination and prophylactic appendectomy: a case report and treatment proposal