Brachiocephalic trunk damage resulted from percutaneous tracheotomy.

ABSTRACT

The paper presents a rare case of injury to the brachiocephalic trunk wall during percutaneous tracheotomy. The complication developed in a post-cardiac arrest patient in a poor general condition. During hospitalization in the Intensive Care Unit, the patient suffered a haemorrhage directly from and around the endotracheal tube. After another episode of massive bleeding the patient died. The autopsy found that the source of the bleeding was injury to the brachiocephalic trunk.