Biomaterial Database

Innominate artery rupture. A fatal complication of tracheostomy. 1987

S Bertelsen, and N M Jensen

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Tracheo-innominate artery fistula is an uncommon but frequently fatal complication of tracheostomy. The case histories of three patients with tracheo-innominate artery fistula are presented, and one is a longterm survivor. The haemorrhage can be controlled by hyperinflation of the cuff of the tracheostomy tube or by direct digital compression of the artery. The damaged segment of the eroded artery should be resected and the ends oversewn. Measures to prevent this complication are described.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011183	Postoperative Complications	Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery.	Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D005260	Female		Females
D005402	Fistula	Abnormal communication most commonly seen between two internal organs, or between an internal organ and the surface of the body.	Fistulas
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D012421	Rupture	Forcible or traumatic tear or break of an organ or other soft part of the body.	Ruptures
D014133	Tracheal Diseases	Diseases involving the TRACHEA.	Disease, Tracheal,Diseases, Tracheal,Tracheal Disease
D014139	Tracheostomy	Surgical formation of an opening into the trachea through the neck, or the opening so created.	Tracheostomies