Complete cricotracheal separation and third cervical spinal cord transection following blunt neck trauma: a case report of one survivor.

We report the case of a patient who sustained a scissors-type blunt neck trauma and survived the following injuries: comminuted cricoid fracture, complete cricotracheal separation, interruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerves bilaterally, multiple cervical vertebral fractures, and a third cervical cord transection. He was rendered apneic instantly at the accident site and was immediately resuscitated by coworkers by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Attempts at endotracheal intubation to establish an initial airway caused acute airway occlusion and an emergency tracheostomy was then successfully performed. He was treated by immediate stabilization of the cervical spine, emergency neck exploration, and early primary repair of the airway injury. Any patient with cervical airway injury should be assumed to have cervical spine injury and should have neck immobilization from the beginning of resuscitation.