Acute tracheobronchial injuries: early and late term outcomes.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the early and long-term outcomes of acute tracheobronchial injuries (TBI).


METHODS
Twelve patients (10 males, 2 females; mean age 28; range 10 to 65 years) diagnosed as tracheobronchial injury and managed during between December 1997 and December 2004 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, associated traumas, surgical management and outcome were reviewed. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 7 years.


RESULTS
All patients underwent surgical debridement and primary repair (anastomosis). There were three tracheal, eight bronchial and one laryngotracheal injury. Accompanying simultaneous traumas were treated at the same session in all cases. One case was discharged from the hospital with permanent tracheostomy. Control bronchoscopies were performed one week and one month after the surgical repair. Bronchiectasia developed in one case after five years and left lower lobectomy was performed. One case died 23rd day after the primary repair. In the remaining ten cases no complication was determined.


CONCLUSIONS
In all cases with a suspicion of TBI, bronchoscopy should be performed immediately by specialist physicians. Early recognition of tracheobronchial injury and expedient institution of appropriate surgical intervention are lifesaving in these potentially lethal injuries. Concomitant injuries are the most important mortality factor.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medicine Faculty of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. levent.dertsiz@gmail.com
Levent
L
Dertsiz
Gülbin
G
Arici
Gökhan
G
Arslan
Abid
A
Demircan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology