Traumatic Thoracic Burst Fracture Associated with Bronchial Rupture.

BACKGROUND

Rupture of, or injury to, the tracheobronchial tree is a rare occurrence in blunt chest trauma.

CASE REPORT: We present a case of bronchial rupture caused by fragmented bone from a spinal burst fracture after blunt chest trauma. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although tracheobronchial injury is infrequent, clinicians should be aware of this possible complication after blunt chest trauma. Bronchoscopy can help in the diagnosis.