title: Rupture of the left main-stem bronchus by the tracheal portion of a double-lumen endobronchial tube.
abstract: We report a rupture of the left main-stem bronchus following the insertion of a left-sided double-lumen endobronchial tube in a 76-yr-old woman with a short trachea. A fiberoptic bronchoscope was not used during the initial insertion of the tube and the depth of insertion resulted in approximately 5 cm in excess of the optimal level for this patient. The rupture had been caused by the tracheal portion of the double-lumen tube. This damage may have been avoided if a fiberoptic bronchoscope was used routinely as an introducer and for positioning of the endobronchial tube under direct vision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakuragi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D012421:Rupture / Q000209:etiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery