OBJECTIVE: External laryngotracheal trauma (ELT), blunt or penetrating, is a rare but potentially life-threatening injury. Immediate care in the emergency department can be challenging because it requires managing a potentially unstable airway and may have associated vascular injuries with massive bleeding. Here, we look at the details of injury, treatment measures, and outcomes in patients following ELT.
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 22 patients treated at our center for ELT from January 2005 up to December 2021 with varying grades of injury. We looked at their status at presentation, management strategy and functional status.
RESULTS: In our report, we include 18 men and 4 women having varying Schaefer injury grades. Eight patients had tracheostomy at presentation and eight had vocal fold immobility. Two patients were treated endoscopically, 12 had open surgery and 8 received no treatment. Of the patients undergoing open surgery, thyroid cartilage fracture was seen in 9 patients, thyroid plus cricoid fracture and cricotracheal separation were seen in 3 patients each. All patients were safely decannulated and spontaneous recovery of vocal cord palsy was seen in some patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The success of managing ELT relies on fast decision-making, correct patient evaluation, securing the airway and maintaining the hemodynamic stability. Early surgical intervention must be aimed at optimally treating the larygotracheal injuries to prevent long-term disastrous consequences.

High speed metal foreign body (FB) caused penetrating injury, with midline fracture of the thyroid cartilage, to the larynx and got impacted in the oesophagus, later passed down to stomach. The larynx was repaired and FB was retrieved with gastrotomy under general anaesthesia. The patient was kept on total parental nutrition for 7 days and discharged on post-operative day 14.

LTT is a life-threatening incident that is fortunately rare. The presenting symptoms might not correlate with the intensity of trauma and range from mild endolaryngeal edema to complete laryngotracheal transection. An early diagnosis and timely intervention is required for successful outcomes and minimizing complications. This retrospective audit was performed on 18 patients of LTT who presented to the emergency from January 2017 to December 2019. The history, clinical presentation, examination findings, degree and nature of trauma, diagnostic modalities, medical and surgical management, and outcomes were analyzed. A total of 13 males and 5 females were included in this audit, with a mean age of 38.7 years. The most common cause was accidental in 77.7% patients. 61.5% of patients presented with Schaefer grade 3 and higher. Out of which 46% underwent emergent neck exploration and repair. 27.7% (5/18) presented with sequelae which were managed either by T- tube stenting, endoscopic dilatation by coblation, or laryngotracheal resection (LTR) and end-to-end anastomosis (EEA). Out of 14 surgically reconstructed airways, successful decannulation was achieved in 57.1% (8) patients. High clinical suspicion, early referral with emergent intervention is paramount for successful outcomes, fewer recurrences, and reduction of hospital\'s and patient\'s financial burden as timely planning and intervention can ensure successful decannulation of around two thirds of the higher grades (grade 3-5) of laryngotracheal traumatic injuries. Early airway establishment is the most critical goal. Definitive treatment protocols are needed in this field which warrants further formulation of multicentric studies and audits.

The larynx is a complex anatomic structure and a properly functioning larynx is essential for breathing, voice, and swallowing. Laryngeal trauma is often associated with other injuries, including intracranial injuries, penetrating neck injuries, cervical spine fractures, and facial fractures. Although uncommon, laryngotracheal injuries may lead to life-threatening airway emergencies. Because laryngeal injuries are rare, even surgeons with a great deal of experience in managing maxillofacial trauma have limited exposure to management of laryngeal and tracheal injury. This article reviews a protocol for the evaluation, management, and treatment of these injuries in the trauma patient.

Hangings are an infrequent wounding mechanism among patients arriving alive to hospital but are frequently encountered by the Coroner\'s Office. It is unclear if classically described hanging injuries, such as the Hangman\'s fracture, are common among contemporary hangings patients who typically do not suspend from height. This study was undertaken to define patient and injury characteristics after hangings causing death.
All patients presenting to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner/Coroner\'s Office (January 2016 - May 2020) who died by hanging were included. Demographics, psychiatric history, hanging details, autopsy type, and sustained injuries were collected. Data variables were summarized with descriptive statistics and the diagnostic yield of a ligature mark in the diagnosis/exclusion of cervical injuries was calculated.
Over the study, 1,401 patients died by hanging. Patients underwent external exam alone (n = 1,282, 92%), traditional neck autopsy (n = 114, 8%), or traditional neck autopsy plus postmortem computed tomography scan (n = 5, <1%). Home was the most frequent hanging setting (n = 1,028, 73%) followed by public spaces (n = 80, 6%) and jail (n = 28, 2%). The manner of death was almost exclusively suicide (n = 1,395, >99%) and psychiatric disease was common (n = 968, 69%). Of the patients undergoing traditional autopsy, most had a ligature mark (n = 109, 92%) and only 9 (8%) had a cervical injury (hyoid fractures, n = 6, 5%; thyroid cartilage fractures, n = 4, 3%). None had a vertebral fracture/dislocation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of a ligature mark were 100%, 5%, 8%, and 100%.
Hangings are a frequent cause of death in Los Angeles County. Patients typically have a psychiatric history and die almost exclusively from suicide. Hangings commonly occur at home, in public places, and in jail. Injuries were exceedingly rare and no patient sustained a Hangman\'s fracture, which may be related to the lack of significant suspension with modern hangings.

Acute management of seizures may require intubation with an endotracheal tube (ETT) in addition to benzodiazepine administration. Although necessary for management at times, intubation can lead to laryngotracheal injury as has been reported at length in both the adult and pediatric populations. A review of the literature shows no prior reports of laryngotracheal injuries following intubation in actively seizing pediatric patients. We share our experience with two pediatric patients who had laryngotracheal injuries after being emergently intubated with large ETT\'s during management of their seizures. We describe two unique cases in the pediatric seizure population associated with laryngotracheal injuries with the goal of emphasizing appropriate ETT sizing for intubation.

In the chronic phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions have arisen regarding the care of patients with a tracheostomy and downstream management. This review addresses gaps in the literature regarding posttracheostomy care, emphasizing safety of multidisciplinary teams, coordinating complex care needs, and identifying and managing late complications of prolonged intubation and tracheostomy.
PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Google Scholar, institutional guidance documents.
Literature through June 2020 on the care of patients with a tracheostomy was reviewed, including consensus statements, clinical practice guidelines, institutional guidance, and scientific literature on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 virology and immunology. Where data were lacking, expert opinions were aggregated and adjudicated to arrive at consensus recommendations.
Best practices in caring for patients after a tracheostomy during the COVID-19 pandemic are multifaceted, encompassing precautions during aerosol-generating procedures; minimizing exposure risks to health care workers, caregivers, and patients; ensuring safe, timely tracheostomy care; and identifying and managing laryngotracheal injury, such as vocal fold injury, posterior glottic stenosis, and subglottic stenosis that may affect speech, swallowing, and airway protection. We present recommended approaches to tracheostomy care, outlining modifications to conventional algorithms, raising vigilance for heightened risks of bleeding or other complications, and offering recommendations for personal protective equipment, equipment, care protocols, and personnel.
Treatment of patients with a tracheostomy in the COVID-19 pandemic requires foresight and may rival procedural considerations in tracheostomy in their complexity. By considering patient-specific factors, mitigating transmission risks, optimizing the clinical environment, and detecting late manifestations of severe COVID-19, clinicians can ensure due vigilance and quality care.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the types and severity of head, face and neck (HFN) injuries, which occurred as a result of a bomb explosion and reached serious life-threatening levels, using radiological imaging methods, and to discuss the options of treatment at the time of presentation.
METHODS: Of the 16 patients brought to the emergency department, 14 with HFN injuries were included in the study. Computed tomography (CT) and radiography scans were performed at the time of presentation in all patients, except for one. The injuries were divided into three groups according to their localization as head, face, and neck.
RESULTS: A subgaleal hematoma was seen in 10 of 11 (78.5%) patients with head injuries. Eight (57.1%) of nine patients with facial injury had fractures and/or ocular injury in the orbital wall, and seven (50%) patients had maxillofacial bone fractures. Among ocular trauma cases, open-globe injuries were detected in three patients (21.4%), closed-globe in two (14.2%), and both types in three (21.4%). Of the five (35.7%) patients with secondary blast injuries in the neck, three (21.4%) had laryngeal trauma (Zone 2) due to shrapnel, localized in the false vocal cord, epiglottis, and thyrohyoid membrane, respectively. Emergency surgery was performed on a patient with a specific laryngeal injury.
CONCLUSIONS: We consider that in patients presenting to the emergency department with blast HFN injuries, after providing airway patency and hemodynamic stability, CT and CT angiography should be performed because these modalities guide the treatment accurately and promptly.

BACKGROUND: Blunt trauma as a cause of pneumoperitoneum is less frequent and its occurrence without a ruptured viscus is rarely seen.
METHODS: 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.
CONCLUSIONS: 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.

Penetrating neck injury constitutes 5-10 % of all cases seen in the emergency room. As surgeons we must be prepared to manage these cases. After stabilizing the general condition of the patient the neck injuries are assessed. Management has changed from routine exploration to selective exploration. Injury to aerodigestive tract and vessels are commonly seen.