A pain in the neck

Airway Obstruction with Blunt Neck Trauma from an Accidental High Tackle in Rugby

“…Pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema caused by blunt neck trauma in adults also is rare. Some cases of pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema that were caused by other mechanisms (10,11) or occurred in children (12,13) have been reported in previous studies. The adult participants and injury mechanisms in these cases included a 20-year-old man who inadvertently tackled an opponent in a flag football game (10), a 19-year-old man who was hit in the midsternal area by a ball kicked from a distance of 10 feet in a soccer match (10), and a 20-year old man who was hit in the right temporal area by another player’s shoulder while playing football (11).…”

“…Some cases of pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema that were caused by other mechanisms (10,11) or occurred in children (12,13) have been reported in previous studies. The adult participants and injury mechanisms in these cases included a 20-year-old man who inadvertently tackled an opponent in a flag football game (10), a 19-year-old man who was hit in the midsternal area by a ball kicked from a distance of 10 feet in a soccer match (10), and a 20-year old man who was hit in the right temporal area by another player’s shoulder while playing football (11). All patients in these cases were injured 2 d before onset, and all these cases were believed to be caused by ruptured alveoli, although the mechanism of injury was different in each case.…”

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in a young healthy adult with plans for air travel

“…Hemodynamic instability clearly raises suspicion. ECG has been suggested as beneficial in early recognition of this diagnosis 14 . Nonspecific ST and T wave changes and decreased amplitude on ECG have been recognized in at least two cases of tension pneumopericardium 15,16 …”

“…ECG has been suggested as beneficial in early recognition of this diagnosis. 14 Nonspecific ST and T wave changes and decreased amplitude on ECG have been recognized in at least two cases of tension pneumopericardium. 15,16 There is a lack of guideline or evidence for the management of pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium; therefore, British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines on pneumothorax were adapted to form the basis of treatment, counseling, and follow-up 2 -the risks of tension and tamponade from rapid pressure change theoretically remain the same.…”