A rare cause of ventilatory failure in a patient with post-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage

High minute ventilation is required to lower intracranial pressures in patients with intracranial bleed. Respiratory acidemia consequent to ventilatory difficulty is dangerous in such patients as it further raises intracranial tension. We describe such a case. A 24-year-old man had to be intubated and mechanically ventilated after he met with a road traffic accident and sustained extensive maxillofacial injuries and intracranial bleed. A tooth was accidentally aspirated in this injury and progressively resulted in left lower lobe collapse, pneumomediastinum, and consequent difficult ventilation. Under video bronchoscope guidance, the tooth was removed with grasping forceps. Pneumomediastinum temporarily increased after the tooth removal, but by 12 h postextraction, resolution of both the pneumomediastinum and left lower lobe collapse was observed. There was a 17 h delay postadmission before the cause of ventilatory failure was realized. Aspiration of foreign bodies, in general, and teeth, in particular, should be actively looked for in patients with ventilatory difficulties in the post-trauma setting.