Asian Journal of Case Reports in Surgery

Tracheal Rupture Post Trauma Aggravated by Intubation - A Rare Complication of a Life Saving Procedure

M. Palaniappa *

General Surgery Department, Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Malaysia and National University of Malaysia, Malaysia.

S. Narasimman

General Surgery Department, Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Malaysia.

B. Narendran

General Surgery Department, Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Malaysia.

S. Thrimourthi

General Surgery Department, Shah Alam General Hospital, Gujarat, India.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

Tracheal rupture is a rare but serious complication of both trauma and intubation. Clinical manifestation includes widespread subcutaneous emphysema and respiratory distress. The management is either a surgical repair or conservative. Here we present a rare case of tracheal rupture secondary to trauma that required surgical intervention in a tertiary centre with no in-house thoracic surgeons. To our best of knowledge, this is the first reported case in South East Asia.

Keywords: Tracheal rupture, trauma intubation, thoracic surgery

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