Pneumoperitoneum in a patient with pneumothorax and blunt neck trauma
Suhail Yaqoob Hakim1, Husham Abdelrahman1, Insolvisagan Natesa Mudali1
1Trauma Surgery Section, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
Introduction:
Blunt trauma as a cause of pneumoperitoneum is less frequent and its occurrence without a ruptured viscus is rarely seen.
Presentation Of Case:
We report a case of blunt neck trauma in which a motorcycle rider hit a fixed object causing severe laryngotracheal injury. The patient developed pneumothorax bilaterally and had pneumoperitoneum despite no injury to the internal viscus. Bilateral chest tube drainage and abdominal exploratory laparotomy was performed.
Conclusion:
Free air in the abdomen after blunt traumatic neck injury is very rare. If pneumoperitoneum is suspected in the presence of pneumothorax, exploratory laparotomy should be performed to rule out intraabdominal injury. As, there is no consensus for this plan yet, further prospective studies are warrant. Conservative management for pneumoperitoneum in the absence of viscus perforation is still a safe option in carefully selected cases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Pneumothorax-II
Clinical Manifestations:
Pneumothorax II: Pathophysiology
Pneumothorax-I
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.
Esophageal Perforation-II: Clinical Manifestations and Management
Clinical Manifestations:
Flail Chest-II
Assessment:
1. Clinical Evaluation:
History:
Esophageal Perforation-I: Introduction
The location of esophageal perforation can vary, occurring anywhere along the esophagus....


