title: Postintubation tracheal injuries--case series and literature review.
abstract: SUMMARY - Post-intubation tracheal injury is a rare and potentially fatal complication. The most common causes are overinflation ofendotracheal tube cuffs and multiple intubation attempts in emergency cases. The diagnosis is based on clinical and radiological suspicion of tracheal injury confirmed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Decision between conservative and surgical management of the injury depends on clinical presentation (respiratory instability, concomitant diseases), lesion characteristics (lesion site, size, and number), and time elapsed from injury to diagnosis. We present three cases ofpost-intubation tracheal injury. In two cases, the patients were treated conservatively; in the third case, the patient died from asphyxia caused by thrombus occlusion of the trachea after a longitudinal tracheal lesion. Pre-anesthetic examination did not indicate any possibility of difficult intubation in any of the patients; however, in one of the patients admitted through the emergency department, emergency intubation was performed.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia. vilka.bekavac.misak@gmail.com
authors: Vilka Bekavac
authors: VB
authors: Misak
authors: Andrea Persin
authors: AP
authors: Beraković
authors: Ivana
authors: I
authors: Vukusić
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Kogler
authors: Leo
authors: L
authors: Pazanin
authors: Slavica Orehovec
authors: SO
authors: Ozegović
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult