Protracted Labor Complicated by Pneumomediastinum and Subcutaneous Emphysema: A Rare Case Report and Management Considerations.

BACKGROUND Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema (Hamman's syndrome) presents with sudden and life-threatening symptoms. Clinical signs include crackles that synchronize with the heartbeat on chest auscultation (Hamman's sign). This report describes the case of a 29-year-old woman with a protracted second stage of labor at 40 weeks of pregnancy with postpartum dyspnea, acute chest pain, and surgical emphysema due to pneumomediastinum (Hamman's syndrome). CASE REPORT This case report describes the case of a 29-year-old primigravida admitted to the hospital ward for spontaneous labor at 40 weeks of pregnancy. Due to a protracted second stage of labor, the delivery was assisted by Thierry's spatulas. Shortly after delivery, the patient developed dyspnea associated with subcutaneous emphysema in the inferior part of the face, neck, and anterior chest wall. As the clinical evaluation showed no signs of severity, we performed a chest X-ray, which confirmed the diagnosis of pneumomediastinum (Hamman's syndrome), excluded any other life-threatening condition, and led to a conservative treatment approach. CONCLUSIONS This report presents a rare association between protracted labor and Hamman's syndrome and highlights the importance of rapid diagnosis and management. In this case, the postpartum presentation was distinguished from pulmonary embolism, and emergency life-saving management was initiated.

Hamman's syndrome - with audio file recording Hamman's sign.

A boy in his late adolescence, with no history of airway disease or medication use, presented with acute history of non-exertional chest pain increased on coughing and deep inspiration accompanied by dysphonia and odynophagia in the last 1 day. He had a notable history of viral fever with non-productive cough 2 weeks prior, which resolved spontaneously. Examination revealed stable haemodynamic parameters. Palpable non-tender crepitus was felt in left anterior chest wall, axilla and both sides of the neck. Auscultation revealed Hamman's sign. ECG showed high voltage complexes and 2-dimensional echocardiogram (2D ECHO) showed normal biventricular function. CXR was evident of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumopericardium and Naclerio's sign clinching the diagnosis of pneumomediastinum. CT findings were consistent with a diagnosis of Hamman's syndrome. Patient was admitted for observation and treated with high-flow oxygen. He improved symptomatically and was discharged on the fourth day of admission.

[Soft tissue emphysema in spontaneous pneumothorax. Features of medical approaches]. / Massivnaya emfizema myagkikh tkanei pri spontannom pnevmotorakse. Osobennosti lechebnoi taktiki.

Soft tissue emphysema (including subcutaneous emphysema) is common in pneumothorax. In most cases, this condition is of little clinical significance and regresses under standard medical procedures. However, progressive soft tissue emphysema poses a threat to the patient's life in case of compression of the upper respiratory tract in some cases. The world literature describes various approaches to the treatment of these patients. Standard medical care for progressive soft tissue emphysema following pneumothorax is pleural drainage with active aspiration. Despite unequivocal treatment tactics, this may not be enough in case of massive air release. Surgical treatment may be accompanied by surgical and anesthetic difficulties including difficult intubation. The authors present persistent tension pneumothorax and soft tissue emphysema, features of surgical and anesthetic management, as well as current treatment options.

[Etiology, diagnosis and treatment strategy of dental therapy-related subcutaneous emphysema].

Subcutaneous emphysema is the local tissue swelling caused by the gas entering the subcutaneous tissue through the tissue gap. Although subcutaneous emphysema is usually a nonfatal and self-limited disease, in severe cases, the gas may spread to the neck, mediastinum and chest, resulting in mediastinal emphysema and other serious complications. This article reviews the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis of subcutaneous emphysema related to dental therapy,and operations that may cause subcutaneous emphysema in stomatology department,as well as the treatment and prognosis of subcutaneous emphysema, with a view to providing some references for dentists.

Pneumoperitoneum, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema following argon plasma coagulation treatment of colonic angioectasia.

INTRODUCTION: The paper presents unusual symptoms as a complication of therapeutic colonoscopy. CASE REPORT: A 70-year-old polymorbid female patient in chronic dialysis program underwent argon plasma coagulation treatment of leaking angioectasias in the cecum and ascending colon. Shortly after the procedure she presented with shortness of breath and subcutaneous emphysema of the neck which was initially misdiagnosed as swelling. Further tests revealed pneumoperitoneum, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. Considering the high risks for our patient (comorbidities, obesity), a laparoscopic approach was indicated. During laparoscopy neither peritonitis nor intestinal perforation were found. The patient recovered without complications after further complex treatment. CONCLUSION: Shortness of breath and subcutaneous emphysema are not typically among the first symptoms of colonoscopic perforation. Our case confirms that we should bear this complication in mind and when suspected, the diagnostic process should be started without delay.

[A man with swollen eyelids]. / Een man met gezwollen oogleden.

A 74-old man developed severe periorbital emphysema after a video-assisted thoracoscopy for lung malignancy. Because of severe symptoms of pain and visual impairment, subcutaneous emphysema was evacuated by bilateral punctures and manual mobilisation of air through the puncture holes.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, a rare manifestation of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis.

Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) is a rare condition characterized by dermatomyositis skin lesions without clinically apparent muscle involvement. Respiratory involvement is common, occurring in about half of the cases. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PnM) is a rare, and often fatal, complication of CADM. We report a case of a 61-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with anti-melanoma differentiation- associated gene 5 antibody-associated CADM and interstitial lung disease. She developed an extensive spontaneous PnM with subcutaneous emphysema. The patient was treated with a conservative approach which was, initially, successful in reducing the size of the PnM. However, the patient died from an eventual nosocomial pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation. This case illustrates that improving the management of CADM associated PnM, remains a major unmet need.

A Rare Complication during Vaginal Delivery, Hamman's Syndrome: A Case Report and Systematic Review of Case Reports.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) during pregnancy or labor is a rare event. We presented a case report and a systematic review of the literature to provide comprehensive symptoms, treatments, and complications analysis in the pregnant population affected by SPM. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of four databases for published papers in all languages from the beginning to 1 September 2021; Results: We included 76 papers with a total of 80 patients. A total of 76% patients were young primiparous, with a median age of 24 ± 5.4 years. The median gestational age was 40 ± 2.4 weeks, with a median duration of labor of 7.4 ± 4.2 h. In 86%, the ethnic origin was not specified. SPM develops in 55% of cases during the second stage of labor. Subcutaneous swelling and subcutaneous emphysema were present in 91.4%. Chest pain and dyspnea were present in 51.4% and 50% of the patients, respectively. We found that 32.9% patients had crepitus, and less common symptoms were dysphonia and tachycardia (14.3% and 14.3%, respectively). Oxygen and bronchodilators were used in 37.7% of the cases. Analgesics or sedatives were administered in 27.1%. Conservative management or the observation was performed in 21.4% and 28.6%, respectively. Antibiotics treatment was offered in 14.3%, whereas invasive procedures such as chest-tube drainage were used in just 5.7% of patients. There were no complications documented in most SPM (70.0%). We found that 16.7% of the SPM developed a pneumothorax and 5% developed a pneumopericardium.; Conclusions: In pregnancy, SPM occurs as subcutaneous swelling or emphysema during the second stage of labor. The treatment is usually conservative, with oxygen and bronchodilators and a low sequela rate. A universal consensus on therapy of spontaneous pneumomediastinum in pregnancy is necessary to reduce the risk of complications.

Traumatic subcutaneous emphysema of the hand/forearm: A case report.

Subcutaneous emphysema is commonly associated with infection caused by gas-producing organisms. In this case report, we describe a rare instance of traumatic subcutaneous emphysema of the hand and forearm caused by a puncture injury to the first web space of the hand. Our objective is to increase awareness of the potential for seemingly minor trauma to cause entrapment of significant air in subcutaneous tissues, thereby decreasing the likelihood that a clinically benign-appearing patient will be started down an unnecessarily aggressive treatment pathway. A 16-year-old, otherwise healthy white female, presented to the pediatric emergency room with an impressive amount of subcutaneous emphysema that developed over a 12-h period after sustaining an accidental laceration to the first web space of her right hand. She appeared nontoxic and had a clinically benign presentation. A comprehensive work-up was performed. She was splinted by the orthopedic surgery resident on call, and was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for overnight monitoring. She received tetanus vaccination and broad-spectrum antibiotics. The patient was discharged 2 days after admittance, with a splint applied to her right hand and forearm. She undertook home-based physical and occupational therapy. She had a pain-free range-of-motion in the right wrist, elbow and shoulder. The swelling in the right hand subsided completely. Although initially alarming, traumatic subcutaneous emphysema in an otherwise healthy patient from minor wounds (as featured in this case) does not necessarily mean one ought to proceed down an aggressive treatment algorithm. Careful evaluation of the patient's history, clinical examination findings, and determination of the Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis score can help guide physicians in the management of traumatic subcutaneous emphysema and potentially avoid unnecessary and costly interventions.

[Spontaneous pneumomediastinum]. / Pneumomédiastin spontané.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumomediastinum, which can be spontaneous or secondary, is defined by the presence of free air in the mediastinum as shown on a chest X-ray and/or chest CT, with or without subcutaneous emphysema. Secondary pneumomediastinum develops in various contexts (thoracic traumatism, perforation of central airway or digestive tract, pneumothorax, barotraumatism complicating mechanical ventilation…). Spontaneous pneumomediastinum , which will be the focus of this review, develops without any of the above-mentioned conditions. STATE OF ART: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare entity which usually occurs in young people either without medical history or with an history of asthma. A trigger event is detected in 40% to 60% of cases. Positive diagnosis is made on chest radiographt but thoracic CT is more sensitive. Distinction between spontaneous pneumomediastinum and secondary pneumomediastinum is in general easy but may sometimes be more difficult, particularly in case of oesophageal perforation. The evolution of spontaneous pneumomediastinum is most often benign but, rare complications may occur. Management is most often conservative. PERSPECTIVES: There is no consensual management of spontaneous pneumediastinum because of the lack of randomized prospective studies. This may be explained by the rarity of the disease. The actual trend is to offer to the patients a conservative treatment, which could be ambulatory in some cases. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare entity developing mainly in young subjects. The evolution is in general benign, justifying a conservative approach.

Enfisema subcutáneo relacionado con trauma facial en un adulto / Subcutaneous emphysema related to facial trauma in an adult

Se describe el caso clínico de un paciente de 45 años de edad, blanco, quien fue atendido en el cuerpo de guardia médica del Hospital Universitario Dr. Antonio Luaces Iraola, provincia de Ciego de Ávila, por presentar trauma facial, debido a caída por un resbalón y golpe en la cara con el borde de cemento de una piscina. Al realizar el examen físico se halló un enfisema cervicofacial. Se indicó tomografía axial computarizada, la cual mostró fractura de las paredes medial y lateral del seno maxilar izquierdo. Se decidió utilizar la técnica conservadora para extracción de aire mediante la colocación de agujas. El paciente evolucionó favorablemente y no tuvo recidivas.

The case report of a 45 years white patient is described who was assisted in the emergency department of Dr. Antonio Luaces Iraola University Hospital, Ciego de Ávila province, presenting a facial trauma, due to a fall by a slip and hit in the face with a swimming pool cement border. A cervicofacial emphysema was found when the physical exam was carried out. Computerized axial tomography was indicated, which showed fracture of the medial and lateral walls of the left maxillary sinus. It was decided to use the conservative technique for air extraction by means of the needles placement. The patient had a favorable clinical course and he didn't have relapses.

Enfisema subcutáneo orbitario espontáneo / Spontaneous Subcutaneous Orbital Emphysema

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Comparison of the Safety and Efficacy of Valveless and Standard Insufflation During Robotic Partial Nephrectomy: A Prospective, Randomized, Multi-institutional Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To use a randomized, prospective, multi-institutional study to compare the safety and efficacy of conventional insufflation (CIS) and valveless insufflation (AirSeal Insufflation - AIS) at the conventional pressure of 15 mm Hg in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy - a surgery where AIS has gained popularity for maintaining visualization despite suction. This study was also powered to evaluate the effect of decreasing pneumoperitoneum by 20% in the valveless system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three high-volume institutions randomized subjects into CIS 15, AIS 15, and AIS 12 mm Hg cohorts. Endpoints included rates of subcutaneous emphysema (SCE), pneumothorax (PTX), pneumomediastinum (PMS), intraoperative end-tidal carbon dioxide (ET CO2), and peak airway pressure (PAP), as well as hospital stay, post-operative pain, and complications. Given the substantial proportion of retroperitoneal surgery, a secondary analysis evaluated the effect of surgical approach. RESULTS: Two hundred and two patients were accrued. SCE was decreased in the AIS 12 mm Hg group (p=0.003). PTX and PMS rates were not statistically significantly different across the 3 insufflation groups. Higher rates of SCE and PMS, although not PTX, were noted in all retroperitoneal surgery groups - with lower SCE rates for AIS 12 mm Hg regardless of surgical approach. CONCLUSION: AIS is often preferred for complex procedures including retroperitoneal and transperitoneal robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy, for its maintenance of pneumoperitoneum despite continuous suction necessary for visualization. This study shows that AIS is safe when compared to CIS at 15 mm Hg, and shows improvement in outcomes when pneumoperitoneum pressure is reduced by 20% to 12 mmHg.