Bilateral pneumothorax following a blunt trachea trauma
This is an unusual report of a 13-year old boy suffering from bilateral pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum after a trauma. The boy had not been hospitalised before the accident and did not suffer from any lung disease. While riding a bike he crashed in an unknown manner. The arriving emergency doctors found an unconscious boy with laboured breathing. The exact accident mechanism could not be reported from any pedestrians at that point of time. First, a Quincke-oedema or allergic reaction was suspected due to a severe facial swelling. Due to this assumption, glucocorticoids were injected intravenously. On the way to the hospital, the patient developed respiratory insufficiency and was intubated. In the clinic, extended physical examinations, performed in order to identify the reason for respiratory failure showed a bounce mark located below the thyroid gland as well as a severe skin emphysema. Reconstruction of the accident revealed that the origin of the bounce mark was due to a collision with a bollard.