Injuries to the neck and chest that are severe or penetrating, as well as some surgical procedures that might harm the airway, could all result in airway trauma, a condition that can be fatal. A delayed diagnosis may result in an early deadly outcome (life support failure, asphyxia from an airflow limitation, or death from pneumothorax) or a late sequela like airway dysplasia and chronic respiratory infections (Curtis, & Ramsden, 2015, p. 1100). The presence of consistent severe injuries and symptoms related that are not unique to this sort of trauma may also contribute significantly to the late diagnosis. For these individuals to recover, an early diagnosis is therefore essential. Airway trauma management should be the first priority in emergency care, as failure to manage the airway in a given time can lead to brain damage or even death.
Airway trauma is a time-sensitive situation, and its therapy relies on prompt injury detection, effective stabilization, and secondary damage prevention. To give the best standard of healthcare to this sensitive patient group, medics and medical nurses must comprehend that, anywhere they practice, practical clinical competencies and a solid knowledge foundation in airway trauma management are required. (Carney et al., 2021, p. 9). The treatment for these individuals is equally tricky; it focuses primarily on establishing a safe and clean airway. This will allow for sufficient ventilation, accompanied by the restoration of the lesion with minimal detrimental consequences on the patients’ standard of living and respiratory function.
The comprehensive airway trauma evaluation and subsequent therapy should be carried out as soon as possible, whether inside or outside, in cases of copious bleeding with airway disruption, as it may end in trauma-related premature mortality (Kovacs & Sowers, 2018, p.68). According to the advanced trauma life support approach for treating people with severe injuries, stabilizing the airway should be done in conjunction with cervical spine stabilization to avert spinal injury. For at least a few hours, the airway should be examined, and it is essential to analyze the reported indicators and signs of airway restriction thoroughly. For instance, inspiratory stridor can signify an upcoming airway loss. The capability to talk and reply to basic inquiries suggests airway patency, sufficient respiratory energy to emit sound, and adequate blood flow pressure to perfuse the brain.
Before commencing anesthesia treatment and airway trauma management, every individual ought to have a comprehensive history and physical test performed. If the airway is compromised, this should not prevent sudden airway protection from occurring. The typical pretreatment airway trauma assessment looks for risk variables for rugged bag mask ventilating and complex direct laryngoscopy. The following step is to assess the traumatized airway and the surrounding tissues using fiberoptic bronchoscopy, direct or visual laryngoscopy, or ultrasound scans, with or without local anesthetic and sedative (Abou-Arab et al., 2020, p. 135). The diagnosis of airway trauma necessitates a significant degree of probability, depending on indications and characteristics that are non-specific for these traumas and a comprehensive understanding of damage processes.
For an accurate diagnosis, bronchoscopy, chest computed tomography with multiplanar reformation and 3D airway reconstruction are approved techniques (Goto et al., 2019, p. 340). Airway control, proper respiration, and endotracheal intubation under bronchoscopy are essential. Initial treatment with direct suture or resection and anastomosis is recommended for individuals with tracheobronchial injuries (Kovacs & Sowers, 2018, p. 70). Surgical intervention should be taken based on where the airway is affected. As long as the trauma is minor, a suitable airway is usually attained, enough ventilation is accomplished, and there are no signs of infection. Certain patients, particularly those with iatrogenic injuries, can be treated cautiously. Individuals with airway injuries that have stalled manifestation should be referred for surgical care.
In conclusion, to prevent needless lung resection, it is imperative to evaluate the durability of the lung parenchyma surgically, further than the site of constriction or blockage. Overall, the risk of complications, morbidity, and mortality during airway trauma management can be minimized with appropriate planning, preparedness, and anticipation. Therefore, having proper airway trauma management with patients may be the deciding factor to if they survive or not and this can be done through the appropriate maneuvers to ensure the airway is maintained.
Reference List
Abou-Arab, O., Huette, P., Berna, P., & Mahjoub, Y. (2020) ‘Tracheal trauma after difficult airway management in morbidly obese patients with covid-19’, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 125(1), pp. 100-164. Web.
Carney, N., Totten, A. M., Cheney, T., Jungbauer, R., Neth, M. R., Weeks, C., Davis-O’Reilly, C., Fu, R., Yu, Y., Chou, R., & Daya, M. (2021) ‘Prehospital Airway Management: A systematic review’, Prehospital Emergency Care, pp. 1–12. Web.
Curtis, K., & Ramsden, C., (2015) Emergency and trauma care for nurses and paramedics. Sydney:Elsevier Health Sciences, pp. 1100-1138.
Goto, T., Goto, Y., Hagiwara, Y., Okamoto, H., Watase, H., & Hasegawa, K., (2019) ‘Advancing emergency airway management practice and research’, Acute Medicine & Surgery, 6(4), pp. 336–351. Web.
Kovacs, G., & Sowers, N. (2018) ‘Airway management in trauma’,Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 36(1), pp. 61–84. Web.