Carinal injury: diagnosis and treatment--case report.

Injury to the thoracic trachea is a potentially lethal condition in a patient with multiple injuries. Several clinical signs are commonly associated with this process: subcutaneous emphysema, aphonia, stridor, pneumothorax refractory to thoracostomy tube drainage, pneumomediastinum, and hemoptysis. The clinical appearance of tracheobronchial rupture may be delayed for hours or even weeks following injury. Standard treatment for disruption of the thoracic trachea is primary repair via a right thoracotomy. We describe a patient with a complex carinal injury following blunt thoracoabdominal trauma who was successfully managed with prompt surgical intervention.