Case reports: iatrogenic bronchial rupture following the use of endotracheal tube introducers

Endotracheal tube introducers are often used in difficult tracheal intubations, but they are rarely deemed responsible for airway injuries. There have been only a few reports of severe complications, such as pharyngeal perforation, mainstem bronchus bleeding, perforation of the tracheal mucosa, and tracheal abrasion associated with hemopneumothorax. Using a computed tomography (CT) scan, we illustrate two cases of non-severe airway injuries related to endotracheal tube introducers.

We present two cases of distal bronchial lacerations caused by introducers. The first occurrence was caused by a Muallem ET Tube Stylet (METTS) in a patient who underwent surgery for a total thyroidectomy and presented hemoptysis at suction after tracheal intubation. The second occurrence was caused by an Eschmann® Tracheal Tube Introducer (gum elastic bougie) in a patient whose trachea was intubated before a radiofrequency ablation of a single lung metastasis. There was evidence of blood on the tip of the bougie after withdrawal. In both cases, a CT scan showed a post-traumatic bronchial laceration with an acquired bronchial ectasia surrounded by ground-glass opacity due to alveolar hemorrhage. The patients had no other clinical complications, and bronchial lesions resolved spontaneously at control CT scan.

These two cases show that airway damage related to endotracheal tube introducers may not be exceptional. It is not unusual to have some blood on an airway management device, and the rate and severity of these lesions are unknown. However, damage to the airway can be avoided by adapting preventive techniques during tracheal intubation.