Rupture of the Main Bronchi in Closed Chest Injury

Five patients with rupture of the bronchi in closed chest injury have been treated at the Ohio State University Medical Center since October, 1955. All five patients had been involved in automobile accidents, and the trauma in each case was the result of a steering wheel injury (Fig. 1). Clinical Study Case1.—A 19-year-old white youth sustained a tear of the right intermediate and middle-lobe bronchus. The lesion was repaired 18 hours after trauma by primary suture, resulting in an uneventful recovery. Case2.—A 16-year-old white youth suffered a complete severance of the left main bronchus, which was successfully repaired by resection of the injured segment and end-to-end anastomosis 16 days after trauma. Case3.—A 21-year-old white woman sustained a bilateral avulsion of the bronchi, with disruption of the carina. This lesion was successfully repaired by performing a left pneumonectomy, reconstruction of the distal portion of the trachea, and an