Blunt pediatric laryngotracheal trauma: case reports and review of the literature.
Blunt laryngotracheal trauma can be a life-threatening event. Two cases of isolated blunt laryngotracheal trauma in pediatric patients are presented. One case involves a 12-year-old mate who suffered isolated tracheal trauma from a fall. He developed respiratory distress and required a tracheostomy. Intraoperatively he was noted to have a thyroid cartilage fracture. The other case involves a 14-year-old female who was kicked in the neck by a horse. After unsuccessful intubation attempts that completed a tracheal transection, she required an emergency cricothyrotomy and a subsequent tracheostomy. The diagnosis, differential diagnosis, associated injuries, and treatment options for blunt laryngeal trauma are reviewed.
Kadish
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City.
Schunk
J
J
Woodward
G A
GA
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D050724:Fractures, Cartilage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000293:injuries; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries*; D014139:Tracheostomy; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*