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Penetrating wounds to the neck occur in 5-10% of trauma cases and are associated with very high mortality due to proximity to and involvement of vital structures. Emergent airway management and rapid diagnosis in these injuries are essential for life-saving treatment. This case study presents the case of a stab wound to the neck in an adult patient which elicited major concern for cardiovascular, neurological, and airway compromise. In such a high-risk trauma airway, this case shows the importance of keeping a wide differential and the value of expeditious management to prevent anoxic brain injury and stroke. The rapid diagnosis of a left common carotid artery transection and subsequent surgical repair were essential in this patient's full neurological recovery.

Bladder rupture is a rare condition often seen in trauma patients that is associated with a high mortality. 1 Spontaneous, intraperitoneal rupture is even rarer in the literature. In this case report we present a middle-aged woman presenting to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain, the need to strain to void, and gross hematuria with prior history of urological procedures and cervical cancer. A computed tomography (CT) cystography revealed an intraperitoneal bladder rupture, and the patient underwent an emergent laparotomy. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged with a Foley catheter. This case represents the importance of keeping bladder rupture in the differential diagnosis even without a history of trauma. Furthermore, an expeditious diagnosis, preferably with CT cystography, and management of the rupture is essential in assuring fortunate outcomes. Topics Bladder rupture, urological emergencies, spontaneous bladder rupture.

Penetrating wounds to the neck occur in 5–10% of trauma cases and are associated with very high mortality due to proximity to and involvement of vital structures. Emergent airway management and rapid diagnosis in these injuries are essential for life-saving treatment. This case study presents the case of a stab wound to the neck in an adult patient which elicited major concern for cardiovascular, neurological, and airway compromise. In such a high-risk trauma airway, this case shows the importance of keeping a wide differential and the value of expeditious management to prevent anoxic brain injury and stroke. The rapid diagnosis of a left common carotid artery transection and subsequent surgical repair were essential in this patient’s full neurological recovery. Topics Trauma, stab wound, neck hematoma, deviated trachea, carotid artery injury, carotid artery transection.