[Airway injuries due to blunt chest trauma]

Although the incidence of blunt chest trauma is very high, the mediastinal tracheobronchial injuries are quite rare. The airway injuries are thought to be one of the most urgent clinical conditions in thoracic surgery, and we are requested to make not only a rapid and sharp diagnosis but also an appropriate treatment plan considering combined injuries. We present 9 cases of tracheobronchial injuries due to blunt chest trauma in recent years. The average age of these patients is 26.1 years, and they are consisted of 6 male and 3 female. The cause of trauma is traffic accident in 7, and occupational crane accident in 2. Bronchoplasty were done in 5 cases (right main bronchus in 2, left main bronchus in 1, trunks intermediate bronchus in 1, and the spur between middle and lower lobe in 1), membranous-tracheoplasty with right pneumonectomy in 1, left pneumonectomy in 1, conservative treatment in 2. Postoperative mortality is occurred in 1 case who was suffering from multiple injuries including severe head injury and contralateral lung contusion. Tracheobronchial plasties should be chosen if possible to preserve lung function for the patient suffering from airway injuries.