RESUMEN
Complete laryngotracheal separation is a rare life-threatening trauma that may occur due to road traffic accidents. Unfortunately, this injury may be missed if emergency physicians were not aware of its possibility. We present a pediatric patient who had complete laryngotracheal separation and esophageal injury caused by strangulation with a headscarf while riding a four-wheeled motorcycle. The neck on external examination showed only a ligature mark without open wounds. The injury was identified while attempting tracheostomy as the patient had a decreased oxygen saturation and was aphonic. The patient underwent complete airway reconstruction and stenting as well as low tracheostomy with complete reconstruction and anastomosis of the esophagus. The patient was decannulated after a few weeks with the vocal cords in paramedian position and no aspiration. This case demonstrates that early prompt treatment can save the patient's life and result in good functional outcomes.
RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Foreign body inhalation (FBI) is a serious and common emergency in children. Such children present in the emergency room (ER) with cough, shortness of breath, choking, or wheezing but rarely present with pneumomediastinum. PATIENT CONCERNS: Three children aged 2 to 5 years (2 girls and 1 boy) were seen in our ER complaining of FBI. Emergency bronchoscopy removal of the inhaled foreign body was performed; however, all 3 patients developed pneumomediastinum. DIAGNOSIS: A foreign body inhalation complicated by Pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES: All the patients underwent emergency bronchoscopy and foreign body removal. After the ER intervention, 2 children were placed in the pediatric intensive care unit, and the pneumomediastinum resolved without intervention. The third patient required an operation for chest tube placement, which was then observed in the pediatric intensive care unit, and had several chest radiography follow-ups. After 5 days, the patient exhibited clinical improvement, and the chest tube was removed. CONCLUSION: In this case series, we present 3 cases of children aged 2 to 5 years seen in our ER with a history of different types of organic FBI complicated by pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax. Pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax is a rare complication of FBI in pediatric patients. However, such complications require multidisciplinary collaboration for early diagnosis and intervention.