Traumatic intrathoracic tracheobronchial injuries: A study of 78 cases

• Published in: Asian cardiovascular & thoracic annals Vol. 22; no. 7; pp. 816 - 823
• Main Authors: Alassal, Mohamed A, Ibrahim, Bedir M, Elsadeck, Nabil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-09-2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bronchi - injuries; Bronchi - surgery; Bronchoscopy; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Saudi Arabia; Tertiary Care Centers; Thoracic Injuries - diagnosis; Thoracic Injuries - therapy; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Trachea - diagnostic imaging; Trachea - injuries; Trachea - surgery; Treatment Outcome; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - diagnosis; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - therapy; Wounds, Penetrating - diagnosis; Wounds, Penetrating - therapy; Young Adult; Bronchoscopy; Wounds; nonpenetrating; penetrating; Trachea; Bronchi
• ISSN: 0218-4923; 1816-5370
• DOI: 10.1177/0218492313516777

Background:Tracheobronchial injuries are encountered with increasing frequency because of improvements in pre-hospital care. We reviewed our experience of these injuries to determine how to better recognize them and facilitate their correct management.
Methods:Patients with traumatic non-iatrogenic intrathoracic tracheobronchial injuries managed in 2 tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2012, were studied. Clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, management, and outcome were reviewed.
Results:78 patients with tracheobronchial injuries were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups according to the management strategy. Forty-seven patients who were managed conservatively, and 31 underwent surgery. Surgery allowed shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays; otherwise, the results were comparable between the two groups.
Conclusions:Early recognition and expedient appropriate management are essential in these potentially lethal injuries. Operative management can be achieved with acceptable mortality, and conservative treatment should be considered as a valuable alternative to the well-established surgical treatment.