Fractura bronquial

Abstract

Thoracic trauma is an emerging pathology related to the increase of motor vehicle accidents. Rib fracture is the most frequent injury; depending on the severity of the event it may be associated with flail chest, cardiac contusion, vascular lesions and other injuries. Bronchial rupture is occasionally seen in blunt trauma and it occurs mostly in the main stem of the tracheobronchial tree. It represents a great task in diagnosis and initial management. Persistent pneumothorax and massive airflow by the thoracic drain are the classic signs, however other cases are not so typical. The right moment to begin positive pressure ventilation is challenging, because in turn it can severely increase the airflow through the bronchial rupture augmenting tension pneumothorax. We present a 25 years old male with a blunt thoracic trauma due to a car accident. Bronchoscopy showed a middle lobe bronchial fracture. In this patient we confirmed that flexible bronchoscopy was the most helpful procedure for diagnosis, initial treatment and to follow up the surgical treatment of his bronchial fracture