title: Tracheal rupture related to endotracheal intubation after thyroid surgery: a case report and systematic review.
abstract: Tracheobronchial rupture is an uncommon but potentially serious complication of endotracheal intubation. The most likely cause of tracheal injury is massive overinflation of the endotracheal tube cuff and pre-existing tracheal wall weakness. We review the relevant literature and predisposing factors contributing to this complication. Only articles that reported at least the demographic data (age and sex), the treatment performed and the outcome were included. Papers that did not detail these variables were excluded. We also focus on a case of tracheal laceration after tracheal intubation in a patient with severe thyroid carcinoma. This patient received surgical repair and recovered uneventfully. Two hundred and eight studies that reported cases or case series were selected for analysis. Most of the reported cases (57·2%) showed an uneventful recovery after surgical therapy. The overall mortality was 19·2% (40 patients). Our patient too recovered without any serious complication. Careful prevention, early detection and proper treatment of the problem are necessary when tracheal rupture occurs. The morbidity and mortality associated with tracheal injury mandate a high level of suspicion and expedient management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yanzi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhisong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhongyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012421:Rupture; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries*
keywords: Endotracheal tube cuff; Intubation; Tracheal rupture; Tracheomalacia