Blunt laryngeal trauma in children

Abstract

The diagnosis of laryngeal trauma in an adult trauma patient is usually readily made. It is frequently overlooked in children, however, because of the severity of their concomitant injuries and the unfamiliarity of pediatricians with this type of injury. The child with laryngeal trauma may develop respiratory distress much more quickly than an adult because of the relatively small dimensions of the pediatric airway and the apparent propensity for children to develop edema of the soft tissues of the larynx. This report retrospectively reviews our experience during the past several years with ten children who experienced blunt laryngeal trauma. Emphasis is placed upon the diverse etiologies of laryngeal trauma in children and the importance of both flexible and rigid laryngoscopy in the diagnosis and management of these patients.

Trends in blunt laryngotracheal trauma in children

“…The frequency and distribution of major and minor pediatric laryngotracheal trauma has been reviewed at this institution in two previous studies [8,9]. While the study periods differ slightly for each review, the calculated incidence of laryngotracheal trauma has climbed from 2 cases/year in the first review and 1.9 cases/year in the second review to 2.9 cases/year in the present review ( Fig.…”

Case Report: Neonate With Stridor and Subcutaneous Emphysema as the Only Signs of Physical Abuse

“…Although not prevalent, LT injuries are second only to intracranial injury as the most common cause of death among patients with head and neck trauma. [14][15][16][17][18] The most common presenting sign for LT trauma is hoarseness. 19,20 There are numerous other presenting symptoms/signs for head and neck trauma, including dysphagia, pain, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and signs of airway obstruction, such as stridor or tachypnea.…”

Management of blunt tracheal trauma in children: a case series and review of the literature

“…While the position of the cervical airway is a protective factor, its size, shape and consistency predisposes a child to [17]. If not promptly managed, rapid asphyxiation due to airway compromise can occur [5,10,12,19,23].…”

“…If not promptly managed, rapid asphyxiation due to airway compromise can occur [5,10,12,19,23]. This happens much more quickly in children, since their larynx is not only smaller in actual size, but the larger arytenoids, the omega-shaped epiglottis and the funnel-shaped larynx result in an even more narrowed laryngeal inlet [17].…”

“…Since one is not always able to perform such a procedure immediately in children, rigid bronchoscopy might be necessary to obtain control of the airway [17]. Surgical exploration is indicated within 24-48 h in patients of groups 3 and 4 or in case of uncontrollable air leak [3,5,8,10,22].…”