Diagnosis and management of major tracheobronchial injuries

From 1968 to 1978, 14 patients were treated for major tracheal or bronchial injury. Five injuries resulted from blunt trauma and nine from penetrating injury. Of the 5 patients with injury due to blunt trauma, three had avulsions of the right main bronchus from the trachea. In 2 of them, the injury was associated with stellate tears of the distal trachea and bronchus. The simple avulsion was repaired by a primary anastomosis of the right main bronchus to the distal trachea. For the other 2 patients, treatment consisted of right pneumonectomy. The remaining 2 patients in this group had complete transection of the trachea and underwent primary repair. Of the 9 patients with a penetrating injury, 4 had lacerations of the cervical trachea which were treated with neck exploration and tracheostomy. Three patients with partial transections of the cervical or upper mediastinal trachea were treated by primary closure. The other 2 patients had gunshot wounds to the distal right lateral trachea, which were treated by right thoracotomy and primary closure. There were no deaths, and the subsequent course was generally good in all patients.     

Bronchus Rupture in Multiply Injured Patients with Blunt Chest Trauma

Background: Tracheobronchial injuries due to blunt chest trauma are rate and occur in about 0.2-5% of patients. In this study, the pattern of injury is analyzed and the importance of careful clinical examination outlined. Diagnosis is confirmed by means of bronchoscopy. Patients and Methods: Between 1993-2000, 1,243 patients with an ISS S 17 were admitted to the Trauma Division of the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. In only six of them (0.5%), a ruptured bronchus following blunt chest trauma was identified. All patients had sustained severe associated injuries with a mean ISS of 47.2 points (range, 34-56 points). In five patients presenting with an extended subcutaneous emphysema at the time of admission, an air leakage persited after immediate tube thoracostomy, one patient showed continuous tracheal bleeding. Diagnosis was confirmed bronchoscopically and an emergency thoracotomy performed in all six patients. Results: In four patients the main bronchus on the right side was sutured, in one patient a wedge resection became necessary, and in one patient with additional lung laceration a pneumonectomy was performed which resulted in intraoperative death due to acute pulmonary failure. Three of six patients have survived and show no sequelae 3, 36, and 48 months after trauma, respectively. Conclusions: Multiply injured patients with blunt chest trauma presenting with an extended subcutaneous emphysema and persistent air leakage after tube thoracostomy are at high risk of lesions of the tracheobronchial tree. Bronchoscopy will confirm the diagnosis. Therapy consists in repair of the ruptured bronchus as "day 1 surgery".     

Tracheobronchial Rupture due to Blunt Chest Trauma: Report of a Case

Tracheobronchial injuries following blunt chest trauma are uncommon in children. The involvement of both the trachea and right main bronchus separately is highly unusual. We herein report the case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with both a tracheal and right main bronchial rupture following blunt chest trauma. While the tracheal laceration required a tracheotomy, a delayed repair of right main bronchial disruption was performed with a complete preservation of the right lung. The features of this uncommon entity are discussed, with special emphasis on early diagnosis and surgical management.     

Surgical treatment for traumatic tracheobronchial injuries

Tracheobronchial injury is a relatively rare but often fatal condition due to the injury from the neck to the chest. Different clinical features depend on the site of injury. We experienced 5 cases of tracheobronchial injury; cervical trachea in 2, thoracic trachea in 1, tracheal carina in 1, left main bronchus in 1. Three cases were caused by blunt trauma by traffic accident and 2 cases were due to penetrating injury (stab wound and gunshot wound). Thoracotomy with primary repair for 3 (simple repair, bronchoplasty, pneumonectomy) and cervicotomy for 2 (end-to-end anastomosis) were performed. One patient with severe associated injury died of multiple organ failure after surgery. Accurate diagnosis and the appropriate treatment in the early stage is essential in the treatment of tracheobronchial injury.     

Airway injuries due to blunt chest trauma

Although the incidence of blunt chest trauma is very high, the mediastinal tracheobronchial injuries are quite rare. The airway injuries are thought to be one of the most urgent clinical conditions in thoracic surgery, and we are requested to make not only a rapid and sharp diagnosis but also an appropriate treatment plan considering combined injuries. We present 9 cases of tracheobronchial injuries due to blunt chest trauma in recent years. The average age of these patients is 26.1 years, and they are consisted of 6 male and 3 female. The cause of trauma is traffic accident in 7, and occupational crane accident in 2. Bronchoplasty were done in 5 cases (right main bronchus in 2, left main bronchus in 1, trunks intermediate bronchus in 1, and the spur between middle and lower lobe in 1), membranous-tracheoplasty with right pneumonectomy in 1, left pneumonectomy in 1, conservative treatment in 2. Postoperative mortality is occurred in 1 case who was suffering from multiple injuries including severe head injury and contralateral lung contusion. Tracheobronchial plasties should be chosen if possible to preserve lung function for the patient suffering from airway injuries.     

Airway injuries. The first priority in trauma

During the last 12 years, 20 patients with significant airway injuries have been treated for lesions involving the trachea, larynx, and/or bronchus. Fourteen of the injuries were the result of penetrating wounds, nine gunshot wounds, and five stab wounds. Six patients presented with blunt trauma, four as a result of motor vehicle accidents, one from a clothesline injury, and one from a crush injury. Sixteen of the 20 were males; average age was 29.6 years. Eleven patients had injuries involving only the trachea, six had isolated laryngeal injuries, two had bronchial injuries, and one patient had a combined injury of the trachea and larynx. Eleven had subcutaneous emphysema, four had hemoptysis, and three stable patients experienced sudden respiratory arrest while being evaluated for the repair of their injuries. Twelve patients required immediate intubation or tracheostomy. Most airway injuries were closed primarily. In one instance segmental resection of a perforated trachea and primary anastomosis was necessary. Two patients died after proper management of the airway injury. One died of an associated brain stem injury and the other of profuse hemorrhage from a liver injury. Of the 18 surviving patients, all but two recovered totally without residual impairment. Described here is a protocol for the evaluation and immediate treatment of airway injuries that is consistent with the guidelines of the Subcommittee of Advanced Trauma Life Support of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Aggressive initial management, high index of suspicion for injury, and meticulous repair of the injured airway are equally important steps in the successful management of these patients.     

Traumatic and iatrogenic lesions of the trachea and bronchi.

OBJECTIVE: The traumatic lesions of the trachea and the main bronchi appear to be rare, but as complications of the severe chest and neck injuries they require urgent surgical treatment. Unfortunately for the last few years the incidence of such traumas has increased. METHODS: During the last 15 years we have treated 28 patients (20 male and eight female) with traumatic lesions of the tracheobronchial tree aged from 8 to 64 years. The tracheal lesions were predominantly iatrogenic caused by difficult endotracheal intubation. The lesions of the bronchi (12 of the main and three of the lobar) were caused mainly by blunt traumas (car accidents and falling from heights). Total disruption of the right main bronchus was observed in five cases and of the left main bronchus - in seven cases. Emergency operative treatment was performed in all patients within 6 to 12 h after the incident. Cervical approach was performed in eight patients and postero-lateral thoracotomy in the other cases. RESULTS: We had one death in the early post, which was due to a severe trauma. Excellent and good results were obtained in 27 patients, which recovered well within 3 months and were followed up for periods ranging from 1 to 10 years. CONCLUSION: The traumatic lesions of the trachea and main bronchi require emergency surgical treatment. The proper choice of operative approach is largely dependent on the precise early diagnosis and on the determining of the exact location of the lesions. Operative tactics must aim at optimal preservation of the functional lung parenchyma and have to include reconstructive and plastic procedures.     

Management of acute cervical tracheal trauma

Airway management is of primary concern in many patients with major penetrating or blunt trauma, particularly injury to the cervical trachea. Although such an injury is infrequent, it is an immediate threat to life and, if unrecognized, can lead to both early and delayed complications. Among more than 700 patients with major neck trauma seen during the past twenty-seven years at the Ben Taub General and Jefferson Davis Hospitals in Houston, Texas, sixty-five patients had injuries to the cervical trachea. In four, the injury extended to include the intrathoracic trachea and/ or main stem bronchus. The most severe injuries occurred in patients with blunt trauma, two requiring emergency cardiopulmonary bypass to accomplish extensive tracheobronchial repair. Tracheostomy was almost always employed. There were no operative deaths attributable to the tracheal injuries themselves. Early control of the airway, assessment of associated injuries, and employment of indicated adjunctive measures provided for successful management of these uncommon injuries.     

Combined tracheal transection and innominate artery disruption from blunt chest trauma

Both transection of the trachea and injury of the aorta and its arch vessels can occur after blunt chest trauma; however, the combination of these injuries in 1 patient is exceedingly rare. This report of a patient with distal trachea transection and proximal innominate artery disruption from blunt chest trauma reviews some of the important factors to be considered in managing these injuries. Management of the airway must be planned before the operative procedure is begun and can be facilitated by the use of a sterile anesthesia circuit passed on to the operative field. Exposure of tracheal injuries as low as the carina can be achieved through sternotomy incision if this approach is indicated for repair of the associated vascular injury. The use of prosthetic materials should be avoided in vascular injury repair due to contamination of the field from the associated airway disruption. Attention to postoperative bronchial hygiene is mandatory for successful outcome after tracheal anastomosis.     

Complex bronchial ruptures in blunt thoracic trauma: management and outcome

Complex bronchial ruptures are rare. Primary surgical repair is the preferred procedure. The aim of this retrospective case series was to study the clinical presentation of these complex bronchial injuries and their management and outcomes. Patients with injuries to the trachea or those who had simple single bronchial rupture and isolated lobar and segmental injuries were excluded. Twenty-one patients were operated for bronchial rupture due to blunt chest trauma. Seven patients had complex bronchial injuries and had right bronchial tree injury (n = 3), left bronchial tree injury (n = 3), and rupture of both right and left main bronchi (n = 1). Fibreoptic bronchoscopy established the diagnosis in all patients. Postoperative complications included atelectasis in four patients (57%) and left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (n = 1; 14.3%), and one patient required tracheostomy (14.3%). All patients had follow-up bronchoscopy 2 months later, which showed no stenosis or scar formation in any of the patients. We concluded that primary repair of complex bronchial injuries, with preservation of the normal functioning lung, is the preferred option as it carries favorable immediate- and long-term results.     

Rupture of the tracheobronchial tree.

Eleven cases of tracheobronchial rupture are described. Nine were the result of external non-penetrating trauma and all but three had other serious injuries. The remaining two were caused by endobronchial intubation. Of the cases caused by external injury, respiratory tract injury was confined to the cervical trachea in three. Two required tracheostomy and repair and the third was managed conservatively; all made satisfactory recoveries. Intrathoracic rupture was recognised on or soon after admission in three cases. One patient died of uncontrollable pulmonary haemorrhage before he could be operated on; immediate repair gave good long term results in the other two. In three cases rupture of the main bronchus was not recognised until complete obstruction developed three, five, and 12 weeks after the accidents. The strictures were resected and the lung re-expanded. Robertshaw endobronchial tubes ruptured the left main bronchus in two patients undergoing oesophageal surgery. Uneventful recovery followed immediate repair. The difficulty of confirming rupture of a major airway is discussed and the importance of conserving the lung when the diagnosis has been missed is emphasised.     

Cardiac damage in nonpenetrating chest injuries. Report of 5 cases

The Authors report 5 cases of cardiac injury after blunt chest trauma: (a) one right atrial disruption with acute tamponade treated successfully; (b) two left ventricular perforations with rib fractures: one patient was exsanguinated and died, the other one presented a late subacute cardiac tamponade with successful operative repair; (c) one isolated traumatic tricuspid insufficiency which was well tolerated; (d) one atrio-inferior caval disruption with acute tamponade. Cardiac damage secondary to nonpenetrating chest trauma is uncommon but with the present modes of high speed transportation they are occurring with increasing frequency; correct management of cardiac ruptures depends upon rapid recognition of the injury and expeditious surgical repair. The occurrence of tricuspid valvular lesions alone as a result of nonpenetrating trauma is not common. Echocardiographic examination after blunt chest trauma is a useful diagnosis procedure.     

Closed rupture of the cervical trachea]

Two patients with closed rupture of the cervical trachea secondary to blunt trauma, one secondary to neck injury and the other secondary to thoracic injury, were analysed with those reported else where (58). Signs and symptoms included subcutaneous emphysema, respiratory distress, hoarseness/dysphonia, dysphagia, hemoptysis and so on. We conclude that: (1) the diagnosis of blunt trauma of the cervical trachea requires a high index of suspicion, since this injury can easily be overlooked; (2) tracheostomy is the best means of airway control; (3) good long-term airway quality is best obtained by immediate repair of injuries.     

Outcome of tracheobronchial injuries: a long-term perspective

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchial injuries are relatively uncommon, and few data are available on the long-term effects of their treatment. METHODS: All injuries involving the larynx and trachea, trachea alone, and mainstem bronchus (MSB) treated by one surgeon were followed if they survived 48 hours. RESULTS: Sixty patients were treated from 1976 to 2001 for blunt and penetrating injuries: 6 laryngotracheal injuries, 27 tracheal wounds, and 27 injuries to the mainstem bronchus. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 26 years. One of six laryngotracheal wounds had a good result. One required tracheal resection and one required permanent tracheostomy. Patients who survived tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis had good outcomes; two had granulomata caused by permanent suture use. One patient treated by primary repair developed stenosis requiring resection. Fourteen patients with MSB injury were treated by pneumonectomy, eight of whom survived. Three developed stump leak/empyema and three had cor pulmonale on long-term follow-up. Ten patients had repair of blunt MSB injuries; two developed bronchial stenosis requiring pneumonectomy. CONCLUSION: Laryngotracheal and MSB injuries often had less than optimal outcomes on long-term observation. Tracheal injuries treated by resection and end-to-end repairs had excellent outcomes. The data should be useful in counseling patients/families and planning follow-up strategies for patients with tracheobronchial injuries.     

Diagnosis of complete mainstem bronchus avulsion by 3-dimensional spiral CT scan of the chest

Tracheobronchial injury (TBI) after blunt trauma of the chest is a rare life-threatening entity that can be successfully managed by surgery if there is an early diagnosis. A 18-year-old man was injured in a motocycle accident. Three consecutive flexible bronchoscopies risulted negative for tracheo-bronchial lesions. Then, the patient was submitted to a spiral CT-scan of the chest with 3-dimensional reconstruction of the tracheobronchial tree that showed a rupture of the right main bronchus from the trachea. The lesion was successfully treated by surgery. Bronchoscopic findings in TBI may be unclear also for an experienced thoracic surgeon.     

Traumatic aortic pseudoaneurysm

A case report of a 5 years old male child, with a history of crash injury--(blunt trauma)--on the chest. Computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest revealed an aneurysm involving the arch of the aorta. An aortogram showed its exact extension. Chest X-Ray showed collapsed left lung (due to pressure of aneurysm on left main bronchus). Surgery was done o aortic arch: Resection of the aneurysm, and patch repair of aorta, under profound hypothermic circulatory arrest (PHCA) and CPB. Left bronchial tear was also closed. Post operatively the patient was ventilated for about 36 hours to allow for lung expansion. The patient had a smooth postoperative course. Intensive chest physiotherapy and repeated bronchoscopies helped in recovering the left lung function.     

Outcomes of surgical management of tracheobronchial injuries a case series from a developing country

Objective: Tracheobronchial injuries are defined as injuries involving the trachea and/or bronchi from the level of the cricoid cartilage extending up to the division of the bronchi. We present a case series with most of the tracheobronchial injuries found to be sustained after penetrating trauma.Methods: A retrospective review was performed at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. From January 2004to December 2009, 168 patients with thoracic trauma were treated, of whom 15 were recognized to have major tracheobronchial and pulmonary injuries.Results: The average age was 31 years with most of the patients being male (14:1). Among them,11 patients had penetrating trauma as the main cause of injury, 3 patients had blunt trauma from road traffic accidents, only 1 patient had combined trauma (blunt and penetrating trauma). Eight patients were diagnosed based on radiological findings. All the patients were treated surgically. Lobectomy was the most common intervention performed in 7 patients. The mortality rate was 7% (1 patient). Most patients survived with no sequelae (10 patients) while 5 survived with disability. We found that penetrating trauma was the leading cause of injury in our series. The severity of injury depends upon the weapon causing the trauma. Patients in our series had multiple injuries and required surgical management.Conclusions: Tracheobronchial injuries are rare but potentially life threatening. They require quick diagnosis and management. Diagnosis tends to be difficult since there are no specialised diagnostic modalities available at present.     

Bronchoplasty without lung resection for the complete transection of the left main bronchus due to blunt trauma

Blunt bronchial injury is rare but crucial injury. A 17-year-old female was admitted due to traumatic injury. She was diagnosed with bilateral lung contusion, multiple rib fractures, spleen damage and the suspicion about the complete transection of the left main bronchus on X-ray and computed tomography (CT). She was brought to our hospital at 30 hours later from injury. Bronchoscopy revealed the complete transection and the edema of the left main bronchus. She underwent a resection of the disrupted portion and end-to-end anastomosis of left main bronchus without lung resection. We should be an immediate and accurate diagnosis of tracheobronchial disruption by X-ray, CT and bronchoscopy whenever we evaluate patients with blunt chest trauma.     

Transesophageal echocardiographic examination of a patient with traumatic aortic transection from blunt chest trauma: a case report

Traumatic aortic disruption is an injury associated with high mortality. Early recognition, diagnosis, and surgical repair are important in order to salvage patients with this injury. We report a case in which transesophageal echocardiography, a rapid, minimally invasive diagnostic technique, was used to identify an acute disruption of the proximal descending aorta in a patient with blunt chest trauma.