title: Bronchial injury and pneumothorax after reintubation using an airway exchange catheter.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report a case of pneumothorax caused by a bronchial perforation during a reintubation using an airway exchange catheter (AEC) in a patient with a head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 53 year old man with oropharynx carcinoma was admitted to ICU for severe pneumonia and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient was recognized as a difficult-to-intubate patient and an endotracheal tube (ETT) was inserted through a bronchoscope. After one week of treatment, it was observed an endotracheal cuff perforation. Exchanging the endotracheal tube was necessary to achieve satisfactory pulmonary ventilation. An AEC Cook 14 was used to perform the reintubation. After reintubation, the patient presented a worsening in oxygen saturation and a chest radiography (CXR) revealed a large pneumothorax. A chest tube was inserted and we observed immediate improvement in oxygen saturation. A repeat CXR confirmed correct positioning of the chest tube and reexpansion of the right lung. A bronchoscopy performed showed a posterior laceration in the right main bronchus. The patient was extubated the following day. After four days, the chest tube was removed. A CXR performed a day after chest tube removal revealed a small right upper pneumothorax, but the patient remained asymptomatic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Airway exchange catheter is a valuable tool to handle with difficult-to-intubate patients. Although the physicians generally focus their attention in avoid barotrauma--caused by oxygen supplement or jet ventilation through AEC--concern for insertion technique can minimize life threatening complications and increase the safety of AEC.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: doctorjuliano@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Juliano P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ludhmila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hajjar
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júlia T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosana E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albertini
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Filomena R B G
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Galas
mesh_terms: D058109:Airway Management / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001980:Bronchi / Q000293:injuries*; D057785:Catheters; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Airway Management; Anesthesia; Intensive Care; Intratracheal; Intubation