Tracheal injury in a toddler

Abstract

Penetrating neck injuries are uncommon in the paediatric population. The initial management of these patients can be challenging to the  emergency room physician, and the surgeon that performs the operative treatment. The nature of these injuries tends to be very complicated since, typically, the patient presents with either excessive bleeding or a compromised airway due to the damage of vital structures in the neck area such as the trachea and carotid-sheath, and lack of corresponding protection from the vertebral bone. Here, we report a traumatic case of a 2-year-old girl that was referred to our unit after surviving an attempted murder by a deranged family member that slit her throat with a saw-toothed knife. The patient sustained a near complete slit of her throat, which was repaired primarily with satisfactory postoperative results.