Laryngeal Injury

Excerpt

Laryngotracheal injuries have a high mortality rate although they are infrequently seen. These injuries may be penetrating or blunt and can occur in the supraglottic, glottic, or infraglottic regions. Accurate and prompt recognition of laryngeal injury is essential, and different patterns and severity of injury are seen in blunt versus penetrating laryngeal trauma. Any patient presenting with a history of anterior neck trauma must be thoroughly assessed for the presence of a laryngeal injury and a safe airway confirmed, or established emergently, before proceeding with further workup.