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Case Reports
. 2016 Mar 28;3(4):376-379.
doi: 10.1002/ams2.184. eCollection 2016 Oct.

Complete cervical tracheal transection due to blunt trauma

Kenichi Nitta  1 , Yujiro Hamano  1 , Hiroshi Kamijo  1 , So Oishi  1 , Michitaro Ichikawa  1 , Hiroshi Takayama  1 , Katsunori Mochizuki  1 , Hiroyuki Agatsuma  2 , Hiroshi Imamura  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Complete cervical tracheal transection due to blunt trauma

Kenichi Nitta et al. Acute Med Surg. .

Abstract

Case: A 31-year-old man was caught up in the rotor of a snow-removing truck. He was diagnosed with tension pneumothorax and managed with tube thoracostomy in the ambulance. But he was left with respiratory discomfort. Computed tomography scan suggested the diagnosis of complete cervical tracheal transection.

Outcome: The endotracheal tube was advanced distal to the transection site under bronchoscopic guidance, which stabilized the patient's cardiopulmonary condition. The tracheal injury healed well after emergent surgical repair.

Conclusion: Complete cervical tracheal transection is rare and requires a high index of suspicion for timely diagnosis. It is important to secure the airway, which can be done by fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Keywords: Blunt trauma; complete cervical tracheal transection; fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Supine chest radiography of a 31‐year‐old man with complete cervical tracheal transection. The image, taken at the emergency room, shows lung contusion and the malposition of the endotracheal tube: it was shallower than anticipated.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Axial (A) and sagittal (B) computed tomography of a 31‐year‐old man with complete cervical tracheal transectionshowing transected trachea (a) adjacent to the endotracheal tube (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chest radiography (left) and sagittal computed tomography (right) of a 31‐year‐old man with complete cervical tracheal transection showing that the tip of the endotracheal tube was positioned at the distal part of the tracheal transection (arrows).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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