Is it safe to use frova airway intubating device during tracheal intubation in difficult airway patient with multiple and chest trauma?
Traumatic chest injury is one of the leading causes of death in motor vehicle accident (MVA). A complete tracheobronchial injury occurred in 1% of trauma cases and most of the cases died before arrival to the emergency department. We report a 37-year-old female involved in MVA presented to the emergency room (ER) with normal vital signs. Ten minutes later, her saturation dropped to 75%, which required ventilation; however, two attempts for endotracheal intubation failed. The third time frova airway intubating introducer used and succeeded. Immediately after tracheal intubation, the patient started to have extensive subcutaneous emphysema and severe hypoxia; chest X-ray showed right side tension pneumothorax which was not relieved by a chest tube insertion. Bronchoscopy confirmed total transection of the right main bronchus and lower tracheal laceration and injury. Emergency thoracotomy and repair of both trachea and the right main bronchus were successful.
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Waseem M
WM
Hajjar
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Nourah
N
Alsubaie
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Thamer A
TA
Nouh
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Sami A
SA
Al-Nassar
Chest trauma; frova airway intubating introducer; tracheobronchial rupture