BRONCHIAL RUPTURE AND PULMONARY CONTUSION IN MULTIPLE TRAUMA

Tracheobronchial ruptures resulting from blunt chest trauma are rare e vents. Depending on their anatomical location and extension they may b e nearly asymptomatic and escape early diagnosis, on the other hand th ey may induce an acute life-threatening situation with dramatic sympto ms. The awareness of the different clinical and radiological findings may point to this lesion, the definite diagnosis, however, is made by bronchoscopy. A rapid surgical reconstruction intends to avoid severe late complications and to protect all uninjured lung areas for an adeq uate gas exchange in case of associated lung contusion. In patients wi th thoracoabdominal injuries, whether to perform thoracotomy or celiot omy first must be decided for each individual case depending on the ur gency. The clinical course of a patient, who after a traffic accident suffered from main bronchus rupture, bilateral lung contusion, liver r upture and multiple fractures of the upper extremities illustrates the se problems.