Volume 26, Issue 130, December 2022

An unusual case of generalised subcutaneous emphysema in emergency room of tertiary care hospital: A fatal outcome

Ibrahim Bombaywala^1♦, Akhilesh Singh Parihar², Charuta Gadkari³

¹Intern, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Maharashtra, India
²Senior Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine, Acharya Vinobha Bhave Rural Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Maharashtra, India
³Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Acharya Vinobha Bhave Rural Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Maharashtra, India

^♦Corresponding author
Intern, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT

Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) is collection of air under the subcutaneous layer or below the dermis. Traumatic SE is caused when a patient sustains a blunt or a penetrating injury and is usually confined to the site of injury, but rarely becomes extensive enough causing pneumomediastinum which can lead to airway obstruction. It can also cause pneumopericardium leading to obstructive cardiomyopathy which can result in death of the patient. Other complications include pneumoperitoneum, pneumoscrotum. The treatment of choice for SE is thoracostomy tube placement. Following case describes a 25 years old male patient who presented with pelvic diastasis and SE due to fall from tractor. The patient was managed conservatively in a local hospital after which he was referred here for further management.

Keywords: Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, pneumoscrotum, thoracostomy

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms552e2608

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i130/ms552e2608

Published: 21 December 2022