Successful anesthetic management in a child after traumatic rupture of left main bronchus by a single-lumen cuffed-endotracheal tube

Tracheobronchial injury (TBI) may lead to catastrophe if remains undetected or managed improperly. The incidence of TBI is less in children as compared with adults due to their pliable chest wall. Its clinical manifestations include persistent pneumothorax, cervical subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, cyanosis, and respiratory insufficiency. The recommended airway management is to intubate the healthy bronchus with a single-lumen or double-lumen endotracheal tube (ET) and bypassing the injured side. We report successful anesthetic management of traumatic rupture of the left main bronchus in a child by using a single-lumen cuffed-ET. Many factors affect the outcome of such injuries and include the extent of the lesion, the resulting pulmonary status, the adequacy of surgical reconstruction. More severe injury may require lobectomy or pneumonectomy. Early diagnosis and proper management result in good functional outcome.