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Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2002;13(4): 589-592. |
A Case of Delayed Airway Obstruction Associated with Prevertebral Hematoma and Cervical Vertebra Fracture |
Sam Woo Lee, Ki Cheol You, Suk Hyun Park, Moo Eob Ahn, Hee Cheol Ahn, Young Mi Choi, Jae Bong Chung, Jung Yeol Seo, Jun Whi Cho, Ho Seung Shin |
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea. emykc@hanmail.net 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chunchon, Korea. 3Department of Emergency Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chunchon, Korea. 4Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea. |
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ABSTRACT |
Neck trauma can result in a spectrum of injuries and complications ranging from incidental to life threatening, including hemorrhagic shock, acute neurologic injury, and airway obstruction. A prevertebral hematoma associated with a cervical vertebra fracture is not a common condition, moreover, in such cases, airway obstruction is rare. If this condition occur, it may very fatal that can producing hypoxia, cyanosis, acidemia, hypoxic brain damage, and then death. For this reason, the attending physitian must careful observation and protect the airway until the hematoma is reduced and other complications relieved. Recently, we experienced a case of airway obstruction induced by cervical vertebra teardrop fracture (C5). The hematoma progressed slowly and then progressively; Finally it compressed the airway. So we present this case with a reviews of the literature. |
Key words:
Airway obstruction, Hematoma, Cervical vertebra |
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