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Case report
Oesophageal rupture from a pneumatic blast injury: an unusual mechanism of blunt oesophageal trauma
  1. Basheer Elsolh1,
  2. Michael Ko2,
  3. Victoria Cheung2 and
  4. David Gomez3
  1. 1Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  2. 2Division of Thoracic Surgery, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  3. 3Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr David Gomez; David.Gomez{at}unityhealth.to

Abstract

Oesophageal perforation is a serious condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Clinical suspicion of oesophageal injury in patients sustaining neck or torso trauma is essential as early diagnosis and management are associated with better outcomes. Oesophageal perforation resulting from blunt trauma is uncommon, and traumatic oesophageal perforation following blast injury is exceedingly rare. We present two cases of patients developing oesophageal perforation from this rare mechanism, review basic principles of management, and key learning points.

  • surgery
  • cardiothoracic surgery
  • general surgery
  • gastrointestinal surgery
  • intensive care

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-242218

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @belsolhMD

    • Contributors BE reviewed the literature, summarised the cases and prepared the manuscript. MK and VC provided expert opinion and proofread the manuscript. DG provided strategic direction, provided expert opinion and proofread the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.