Barotrauma after Manual Ventilation in a Patient with Life-Threatening Massive Hemoptysis

Abstract

A 36-year-old female patient with aplastic anemia developed massive hemoptysis and was placed on ventilator support. However, airway obstruction by blood clots triggered desaturation and ventilator malfunction. Manual ventilation was initiated to improve oxygenation, and emergency flexible bronchoscopy was performed to clear the airway. Nevertheless, the patient developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum.

Keywords

• airway obstruction
• barotrauma
• hemoptysis
• ventilation