Blunt tracheal trauma seldom develops in children because of their anatomy and the mobility of the cartilage. It has the potential to be overlooked, either because of the severity of concomitant injuries or because of the unfamiliarity of paediatricians with this type of injury. However, tracheal injury might be lethal due to airway compromise. Early bronchoscopy may be necessary to anticipate complications and prevent permanent dysfunction. We present a retrospective, double-institution case series over a 5-year period, describing five children, aged 3 to 14 years, with tracheal injury after blunt cervical trauma. All patients showed emphysema with pneumomediastinum. After explorative bronchoscopy, all patients were successfully treated with antibiotics and/or supportive ventilation. In summary, minimal lesions due to blunt tracheal trauma could be treated conservatively in children. Since the external signs of tracheal injury are not indicative of the extent of the trauma, a high index of suspicion is warranted in these patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.