Open AccessA retropharyngeal-mediastinal hematoma with supraglottic and tracheal obstruction: The role of multidisciplinary airway management
Author(s) -
Torsten Birkholz,
Stefanie Kröber,
Christian Knorr,
A. Schiele,
Klaus Bumm,
Joachim Schmidt
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of emergencies, trauma and shock
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.313
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 0974-519X
pISSN - 0974-2700
DOI - 10.4103/0974-2700.70776
Subject(s) - medicine , airway obstruction , airway management , context (archaeology) , airway , cricothyrotomy , hematoma , resuscitation , surgery , intensive care medicine , paleontology , biology
A 77-year-old man suffered hypoxemic cardiac arrest by supraglottic and tracheal airway obstruction in the emergency department. A previously unknown cervical fracture had caused a traumatic retropharyngeal-mediastinal hematoma. A lifesaving surgical emergency tracheostomy succeeded. Supraglottic and tracheal obstruction by a retropharyngeal-mediastinal hematoma with successful resuscitation via emergency tracheostomy after hypoxemic cardiac arrest has never been reported in a context of trauma. This clinically demanding case outlines the need for multidisciplinary airway management systems with continuous training and well-implemented guidelines. Only multidisciplinary staff preparedness and readily available equipments for the unanticipated difficult airway solved the catastrophic clinical situation.