BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTracheal ruptureTorn tracheal mucosa; Bronchial ruptureA tracheal or bronchial rupture is a tear or break in the windpipe (trachea) or bronchial tubes, the major airways leading to the lungs. A tear can also occur in the tissue lining the windpipe. Causes The injury may be caused by:Infections Sores (ulcerations) due to foreign objects Trauma, such as a gunshot wound or automobile accidentInjuries to the trachea or bronchi also may occur during medical procedures (for example, bronchoscopy and placement of a breathing tube). However, this is very uncommon.BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms People with trauma who develop a tracheal or bronchial rupture often have other injuries. Symptoms may include:Coughing up blood Coughing up bloodCoughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract). Hemoptysis is the medical term for cough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bubbles of air that can be felt underneath the skin of the chest, neck, arms, and trunk (subcutaneous emphysema) Subcutaneous emphysemaSubcutaneous (under the skin) emphysema occurs when air gets into tissues under the skin. This most often occurs in the skin covering the chest or n...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty breathing Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam. Close attention will be paid to the symptoms of the rupture.Tests that may be done include:Neck and chest CT scan Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bronchoscopy BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT angiography CT angiographyCT angiography combines a CT scan with the injection of dye. This technique is able to create pictures of the blood vessels in the chest and upper a...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Laryngoscopy Contrast esophagography and esophagoscopyEsophagographyAn upper GI and small bowel series is a set of x-rays taken to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Barium enema is a related test th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article EsophagoscopyEsophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum)....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment People who have had a trauma will need to have their injuries treated. Injuries to the trachea often need to be repaired during surgery. Injuries to the smaller bronchi can sometimes be treated without surgery. A collapsed lung is treated with a chest tube connected to suction, which re-expands the lung.Collapsed lungA collapsed lung occurs when air escapes from the lung. The air then fills the space outside of the lung between the lung and chest wall. This buil...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article For people who have breathed a foreign body into the airways, bronchoscopy may be used to take out the object.Antibiotics are used in people with an infection in the part of the lung around the injury. Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook of injury due to trauma depends on the severity of other injuries. Operations to repair these injuries often have good results. The outlook is always better if the person does not have many chronic medical conditions. The outlook is good for people whose tracheal or bronchial disruption is due to causes such as a foreign object, which tend to have a good outcome.In the months or years after the injury, scarring at the injury site may cause problems, such as narrowing, which require other tests or procedures. Possible Complications Major complications after surgery for this condition include:Infection Long-term need of a ventilator Narrowing of the airways Scarring When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if you have: Had a major injury to the chest Inhaled a foreign body Symptoms of a chest infection The feeling of air bubbles underneath your skin and trouble breathingOpen ReferencesReferencesAsensio JA, Trunkey DD. Neck injuries. In: Asensio JA, Trunkey DD, eds. Current Therapy of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:179-185.Carmichael SP, Mowery NT, Martin RS, Meredith JW. Management of acute trauma. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 17.White V, Ruparelia P. Respiratory disease. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clarke's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 28.AllVideoImagesTogLungs - illustration The major features of the lungs include the bronchi, the bronchioles and the alveoli. The alveoli are the microscopic blood vessel-lined sacks in which oxygen and carbon dioxide gas are exchanged.LungsillustrationLungs - illustration The major features of the lungs include the bronchi, the bronchioles and the alveoli. The alveoli are the microscopic blood vessel-lined sacks in which oxygen and carbon dioxide gas are exchanged.LungsillustrationRelated Information Review Date: 7/31/2022 Reviewed By: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, Paul F. Harron, Jr. Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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Tracheal ruptureTorn tracheal mucosa; Bronchial ruptureA tracheal or bronchial rupture is a tear or break in the windpipe (trachea) or bronchial tubes, the major airways leading to the lungs. A tear can also occur in the tissue lining the windpipe. Causes The injury may be caused by:Infections Sores (ulcerations) due to foreign objects Trauma, such as a gunshot wound or automobile accidentInjuries to the trachea or bronchi also may occur during medical procedures (for example, bronchoscopy and placement of a breathing tube). However, this is very uncommon.BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms People with trauma who develop a tracheal or bronchial rupture often have other injuries. Symptoms may include:Coughing up blood Coughing up bloodCoughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract). Hemoptysis is the medical term for cough...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bubbles of air that can be felt underneath the skin of the chest, neck, arms, and trunk (subcutaneous emphysema) Subcutaneous emphysemaSubcutaneous (under the skin) emphysema occurs when air gets into tissues under the skin. This most often occurs in the skin covering the chest or n...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Difficulty breathing Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam. Close attention will be paid to the symptoms of the rupture.Tests that may be done include:Neck and chest CT scan Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bronchoscopy BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT angiography CT angiographyCT angiography combines a CT scan with the injection of dye. This technique is able to create pictures of the blood vessels in the chest and upper a...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Laryngoscopy Contrast esophagography and esophagoscopyEsophagographyAn upper GI and small bowel series is a set of x-rays taken to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Barium enema is a related test th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article EsophagoscopyEsophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum)....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment People who have had a trauma will need to have their injuries treated. Injuries to the trachea often need to be repaired during surgery. Injuries to the smaller bronchi can sometimes be treated without surgery. A collapsed lung is treated with a chest tube connected to suction, which re-expands the lung.Collapsed lungA collapsed lung occurs when air escapes from the lung. The air then fills the space outside of the lung between the lung and chest wall. This buil...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article For people who have breathed a foreign body into the airways, bronchoscopy may be used to take out the object.Antibiotics are used in people with an infection in the part of the lung around the injury. Outlook (Prognosis) The outlook of injury due to trauma depends on the severity of other injuries. Operations to repair these injuries often have good results. The outlook is always better if the person does not have many chronic medical conditions. The outlook is good for people whose tracheal or bronchial disruption is due to causes such as a foreign object, which tend to have a good outcome.In the months or years after the injury, scarring at the injury site may cause problems, such as narrowing, which require other tests or procedures. Possible Complications Major complications after surgery for this condition include:Infection Long-term need of a ventilator Narrowing of the airways Scarring When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider if you have: Had a major injury to the chest Inhaled a foreign body Symptoms of a chest infection The feeling of air bubbles underneath your skin and trouble breathingOpen ReferencesReferencesAsensio JA, Trunkey DD. Neck injuries. In: Asensio JA, Trunkey DD, eds. Current Therapy of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:179-185.Carmichael SP, Mowery NT, Martin RS, Meredith JW. Management of acute trauma. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 17.White V, Ruparelia P. Respiratory disease. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clarke's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 28.