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. 2023 Jun;75(2):322-331.
doi: 10.1007/s12070-022-03265-0. Epub 2022 Nov 6.

Management of Laryngotracheal Trauma During the COVID 19 Pandemic: Our Experience

J Justin Ebenezer Sargunaraj  1 , Joby Elizabeth Ninan  1 , Rashmi Tanya Boaz  1 , Nithya Sara Mani  1 , Rajat Basak  1 , Ranjeetha Rachel Inja  1 , Rita Ruby A Albert  1 , Suma Susan Mathews  1
Affiliations

Management of Laryngotracheal Trauma During the COVID 19 Pandemic: Our Experience

J Justin Ebenezer Sargunaraj et al. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Objective To study the outcomes in terms of airway, voice and swallowing as well as the economic impact of the trauma on patients' finances and the constrained health infrastructure due to the pandemic. Materials and methods Study design Retrospective study. Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital. Subjects and methods: A retrospective study was done of the 19 subjects who sustained acute laryngotracheal trauma during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic and was managed at our institution from January 2020 to September 2021. Results Change in voice was the most common presenting symptom and thyroid cartilage fractures were the commonest cartilage injury noted. It was found that 93% (decannulated) of the patients had good functional outcome and 90% of them required financial support to meet the medical expenses. Conclusion During the COVID 19 pandemic, it was not only, early presentation, timely detection and intervention by the treating team, but also the multidisciplinary teamwork and the support system that facilitated the recuperation and restoration of these traumatized individuals back into society with good laryngeal function.

Keywords: Blunt injuries; COVID -19; Deliberate self-harm; Neck injuries; Non-penetrating injuries; Non-penetrating wounds; Penetrating wounds; SARS-CoV-2; Tracheostomy; Wounds.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interestThe authors have no conflict of interest to disclose in this work.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A Deliberate self-harm with hesitation cuts and a lacerated neck wound with an endotracheal tube through the breached thyrohyoid membrane and a paramedian vertical fracture line on the left lamina of the thyroid cartilage. B Endoscopy showed an edematous epiglottis detached from its attachment to the thyroid cartilage
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A CECT Neck image sagittal view-Endotracheal tube seen in-situ through the disrupted thyrohyoid membrane (white arrow) in the patient with the findings shown in Fig. 1A and B. B CECT Neck axial view-Fractured cricoid cartilage: showing the impacted and inwardly displaced fractures of the lateral portion of cricoid cartilage (white arrow) at the junction of the arch and the lamina on both sides
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Financial ability of the subject to settle the hospital bill
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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