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Ann Thorac Surg 1995;60:1367-1371
© 1995 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Service de Chirurgie Thoracique,, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Montpellier, France
Accepted for publication June 5, 1995.
| Abstract |
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Methods. Overinflation of the tracheal cuff was speculated to be a frequent cause of the tracheal damage because the lesion was always a linear laceration of the posterior membranous wall. The diagnosis was suspected on the basis of common signs such as subcutaneous emphysema, respiratory distress, pneumomediastnum and pneumothorax. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was the best means of confirming the diagnosis and determining the location and extent of the lesion. In 5 patients, extensive laceration with severe respiratory disorders required emergent repair through a right posterolateral thoracotomy.
Results. There were two postoperative deaths unrelated to the tracheal lesion. A patient with a small tracheal defect and favorable clinical presentation showed a rapid positive outcome after conservative treatment.
Conclusions. Tracheal intubationrelated airways ruptures are rare but probably underestimated. Early recognition and emergent repair are essential because failure to do so could result in potentially lethal events.
| Introduction |
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| Material and Methods |
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| Results |
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Diagnosis
The diagnosis was suspected at extubation in two cases and 2 hours after extubation in the third postoperative case. In the 3 cases of emergent intubation for respiratory distress, the delay in diagnosis was longer and varied from 6 to 12 hours after intubation. In all cases, cervicothoracic subcutaneous emphysema revealed the tracheal rupture. Radiologic findings included pneumomediastinum in all patients, with right pneumothorax in 3. In 2 patients, the acutely distended appearance of the cuff was visible on the chest roentgenogram.
Endoscopy
Endoscopic findings are reported in Table 1.
In all patients, fiberoptic bronchoscopy results demonstrated a linear, right-sided membranous tear at the junction of the cartilage and the membranous wall. In two cases, the tear also involved the end of the cervical part of the trachea.
Treatment
In 5 patients surgical repair was performed through a right posterolateral thoracotomy with 4/0 Vicryl interrupted sutures associated with application of biologic glue (Tissucol). In 1 patient with a cervicothoracic tracheal tear, the cervical part of the laceration was inaccessible through a right posterolateral thoracotomy; it was not repaired but healed spontaneously. The last patient of this series had a small laceration of the membranous wall (less than 2 cm) with a favorable clinical presentation. This was managed medically with antibiotic therapy (amoxicillin 2 g/d; metronidazole, 1.5 g/d) without tracheotomy.
Outcome
There were two deaths unrelated to the tracheal lesion. An 87-year-old patient died on postoperative day 15 of cardiac failure; control fiberoptic bronchoscopy performed on day 8, had shown total closure of the tracheal laceration. Another patient with severe tetanus experienced neurovegetative disorders with cardiac complications and died on postoperative day 4 of cardiac arrhythmias. In the other 4 patients, the outcome was favorable and bronchoscopy done before discharge showed complete healing of the trachea. In the follow-up of these patients, distant bronchoscopic control revealed no evidence of tracheal stenosis.
| Comment |
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Several authors reported airway rupture after insertion of a double-lumen endotracheal tube [16] due to inadequate tube size, malpositioning of the tip of the tube, failure to deflate the tracheal and bronchial cuff when repositioning the patient or the tube, or overinflation or insufflation of the bronchial balloon too rapidly. Moreover, Carlens, White, and Robertshaw tubes have low-volume and high-pressure cuffs that sometimes inflate asymmetrically, leading to deviation of their tips toward the bronchial wall [3]. With this type of tube, isolated tracheal injury is rare, and most serious airway injuries involve the intubated main stem bronchus. Some reports [5, 13] have pointed out that tracheal lacerations may occur with any type of``atraumatically'' placed endotracheal tube, as in case 3 case 6 of this series.
Signs of tracheal rupture usually appear immediately or soon after the initial intubation, and the diagnosis is suspected from the common signs of subcutaneous emphysema and respiratory distress. However, Hood and Sloan [18] reported that in 66% of 98 patients with tracheobronchial injury, more than 24 hours elapsed between the injury and diagnosis. This delay is explained by partial-thickness wall lacerations and dissection by air into adventitia, expanding it and producing aneursymal dilatation with further rupture in the mediastinum or pleural space [5]. Early radiographic findings include pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, and pneumothorax, but emergent fiberoptic bronchoscopy is the best means of confirming the diagnosis and determining the exact location and extent of the lesion. This should be done immediately after observing unexplained subcutaneous emphysema or inexhaustible pneumothorax, which could indicate tracheal laceration. Tracheal rupture is a life-threatening condition requiring aggressive management through operation. Its acute complications include tension pneumothorax or anoxia when most of the tidal volume is leaking through the tracheal tear. Subacute complications include potentially lethal mediastinitis and tracheal stricture.
Tracheal intubation distal to the lesion or bronchial intubation with a double-lumen tube and pleural drainage (if pneumothorax is present) are of prime importance for effective control of respiratory distress. Conservative treatment may be appropriate for small lacerations of the membranous trachea or when less than one third of the circumference of the trachea or bronchus is disrupted [1921]. The last patient of this series presented with a small linear membranous laceration, which was managed medically with spontaneous healing and uneventful recovery, However, for more serious injuries, most investigators recommend early surgical repair through a cervical or thoracic incision. Petterson and co-workers [22] recommended imperative surgical repair in the event of respiratory or circulatory failure. Lesions of the lower half of the trachea, particularly of the membranous posterior wall, are most easily approached through a high right thoracotomy incision. Lesions in the upper and mid-trachea are best approached cervically, with partial division of the sternum if necessary for further exposure. The repair procedure involves end-to-end anastomosis for disruptions and simple suture for cases of laceration. Autogenous free pericardial graft [14, 23, 24] and intercostal muscle flap [25] have been used to reinforce primary closures and bridge small defects. As in any case of tracheal repair, positive pressure ventilation should be avoided, and extubation of the trachea should be performed as soon as possible.
Airway injuries after the use of double-lumen tubes emphasize the need for routine inspection of the mediastinum with both lungs ventilated after every thoracic procedure. Tracheal intubationrelated airway ruptures are rare but probably underestimated. It is possible that some postoperative subcutaneous emphysema or pneumothorax assigned to bleb or bullous disease of the lung could be related to unrecognized tracheal laceration after endotracheal intubation.
| Footnotes |
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| References |
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