Main Bronchus Penetration by Thoracostomy Tube: A Rare Inadvertent Complication

Abstract

Tube thoracostomy has been known to be a common and invasive, however not innocuous, procedure which is often life-saving. Though, numerous complications have been reported during executing this procedure. In this report, we describe a 27-year-old woman, case of multiple trauma due to car collision that was transferred to our service due to severe right side chest tube air leak and subcutaneous emphysema in which after proper evaluation, it was revealed that the chest tube crossed through the right pleural cavity and penetrated the bronchus intermedius. A literature search failed to identify a similar case. The misplacement was confirmed by fiber optic bronchoscopy and after surgical and intensive care management of the patient, she was discharged with an uneventful post-op course. This case noticeably determines that bearing in mind the extreme risks and the careful checks of the tube location are required, particularly in trauma patients, even in the absence of anatomical abnormalities.