A Rare Case of Survival after Complete Traumatic Cricotracheal Separation

Abstract

We report the survival of an extremely rare case of complete cricotracheal transection following incisional trauma with knife. The clinical record underlines the importance of prompt airway management and immediate neck exploration in such cases. To the authors knowledge, such a case has not been reported previously in the literature.

Transcervical intubation for massive self-inflicted neck wound transecting the epiglottis

“…Other case studies have highlighted the importance of saving time by bypassing a CT scan upon patient arrival in situations of penetrating airway compromise. Our patient, however, had a secure airway and no clinical signs of large vessel hemorrhage, so CTA was done to rule out subclinical major vascular injury [9] , [10] .…”

Management of traumatic laryngotracheal separation: Case series and review

“…The level of detail provided concerning the specifics of the airway management and surgical techniques and reconstruction vary widely. 6,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The results are summarized in Table 1. Management strategies have not unsurprisingly evolved throughout the years.…”

Survival after Complete Laryngotracheal Separation: A Case Report

“…Trauma to the larynx occurs in varying degrees of severity, the highest of which results in LTS [2] described as a grade 5 injuries by the Schaefer Classification System [3]. When a grade 5 injury occurs it carries a high rate of mortality [4]. LTS often presents with non-specific symptoms in the setting of an acute trauma to the neck [5], which can lead to a delayed or missed diagnosis.…”