Tracheal Injuries After Blunt Chest Trauma: Rare Cases

Abstract

Airway injuries due to blunt chest trauma are rare but life threatening. We herein report two cases of tracheal injuries due to road traffic accident. Both patients were intubated and mechanically ventilated and transferred to our tertiary care hospital for surgical repair. A 20-year-old male was ejected out of car and sustained fracture of femur which was fixed under spinal anaesthesia and later after two months he presented with shortness of breath and stridor he was endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated. His computed tomographic scan of chest (CT) showed stricture of intrathoracic trachea. Second case was 35- year-old female front seat passenger sustained neck injury in road traffic accident. She presented with cervical subcutaneous emphysema and respiratory distress. She was intubated and mechanically ventilated. Her CT scan of chest showed fracture of first tracheal ring. Both patients were operated with uneventful postoperative course.