The Oesophagus and Stick Injuries Flashcards
Why are stick injuries challenging? (3)
- Every case is different
- Limitations to assess patient with in house
- Challenges with surgical tx.
Pros (2) and cons (2) of xrays for stick injury?
Pro:
Recognise air entry
See large FB
Con
Difficult to see wood
Limited anatomy detail
Ideal imaging for stick injury?
CT
How can oesophagoscopy be utilized for stick injury?
Look for tears
Why is stick injury surgery challenging? all aspects (9)
- Lack of advanced diagnostic facilities = uncertain about injury;
- The oesophagus = unfamiliar area
- Vital structures in the surgical area
- Normal anatomy may be disrupted
- Careful monitoring and extensive post op care
- Failure to remove all FB = recurrent abscessation;
- Traumatic foreign bodies we only know that we have removed all foreign material when the wound has healed uneventfully and the patient has suffered no recurrent abscessation within the area over a period of 6-12 months or more postoperatively;
- Owner guilt if they have thrown the stick;
- Available finances
Which aspect is normally affected due to the trajectory of the foreign body?
Dorsal +/- caudal
“Small proximal oesophageal tears may heal spontaneously.”
Is my statement true or false?
True
What is the treatment option for large oesophageal tears?
Surgery
What is the worst case pathophysiology of large esophageal tears?
Larger oesophageal tears will result in saliva, fluid and food entering the local tissues of the neck where they will cause a local cellulitis and infection. This can extend down the tissue planes of the neck to cause a mediastinitis. If the mediastinum is breached the infection will then spread to the pleural cavity (pyothorax) which can be fatal.
What are the other possible causes of subcutaneous emphysema in the neck region?
Penetrating skin wound
Tracheal laceration
Penetrating oropharyngeal/oesophageal lesion
Investigation of Patients with a (Suspected) Stick Injury Without Advanced Imaging…?
- History
- CE
- Biochem + haem
- Examine mouth under GA
- Images
- Probe
Where are the possible injury locations of stick? (5)
Tongue or tongue base
Hard or soft palate
Tonsils or tonsillar crypts
Laryngopharynx;
Dorsal pharyngeal wall
How to assess the hard/soft palate?
Retroflex the soft palate rostrally and look for injuries in the caudodorsal nasopharynx and foreign material dorsal to the soft palate;
How to assess tonsils/tonsillar crypts?
Protrude the tonsils from the tonsillar crypts and examine both carefully;
How to examine dorsal pharyngeal wall?
Examine by retroflexion of the soft palate.
If there is air within the tissue planes of the neck , what are the D/Dx? (3)
Oral/oesophageal FB
Penetrating skin wound
Tracheal laceration
How common is it for a pneumomediastinum to become a pneumothorax?
Extremely unusual
How can endoscopy be used for stick injuries? (2)
- Of the penetrating tract: to assess the depth of the injury and the presence/removal of foreign material.
- Oesophagoscopy: This is ideal to allow direct assessment of the oesophagus.
Which area of oesophagus is difficult to examine to endoscope why?
Proximal - To examine the oesophagus it must be inflated with air however it is difficult to keep the proximal oesophagus inflated during proximal oesophagoscopy as air leaks through the proximal oesophageal sphincter.
What are the two ways to see radiographically tracts?
- Probe and xray
- Iodine based contrast
If a FB isnt obvious - what is likely to be seen if there is an oesophgeal tear?
Air in fascial plane
What is seen on xray to identify a pneumomediastinum?
see the outside wall of the thoracic trachea and individual vessels in the cranial thorax because these are now surrounded by air.
Once a under tongue laceration has been explored/flushed. How should this wound heal?
Leave the wound to granulate or suture the wound closed using 3/0 or 4/0 monofilament absorbable suture material placed in a simple interrupted or simple continuous pattern if the wound has been thoroughly explored and debrided.