MANAGEMENT OF PENETRATING INJURIES OF THE CERVICAL TRACHEA

This is a report of a 2-year experience with the management of penetra ting injury of the cervical trachea. There were 29 cases. The respirat ory status of the patient on admission dominated the initial managemen t: 12 patients required emergency intubation and were immediately take n to operation, while 17 patients were more stable and could be subjec ted to the preoperative assessment of the oesophagus. Associated injur ies were significant and dominated the postoperative morbidity and mor tality. Primary repair of the trachea, without tracheostomy, was succe ssful in a relatively high proportion of patients (55%).