Abstract
We report a case of a 55-years-old man with tension pneumothorax and extensive subcutaneous emphysema. He had cardiac arrest on arrival due to severe upper airway obstruction. During the CPR, airway management became extremely challenging due to severe upper airway emphysema. Common conventional airway techniques failed due to distorted airway anatomy. A quick surgical airway (percutaneous tracheostomy) saved his life. He was discharged home without any neurological deficit.
References
-
Selby CD, Sudlow MF. Deficiencies in the management of spontaneous pneumothoraces. Scot Med J. 1994;39:75-6.
-
Kainat A, Ain N, Mukhtar N, et al. Tension Pneumothorax and Subcutaneous Emphysema - A Rare Cause of Dysphagia in a Patient With Marfan Syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2023;207:A1540.
-
Sahoo NK, Singh S, Bhandari A. Early Postoperative Malignant Subcutaneous Emphysema: Report and Review. J Maxillofac Oral Surg. 2017;16(1):85-9.
-
Gibney RT, Finnegan B, FitzGerald MX, et al. Upper airway obstruction caused by massive subcutaneous emphysema. Intensive Care Medicine. 1984;10:43-4.
-
Higgs A, McGrath BA, Goddard C, et al. Difficult Airway Society; Intensive Care Society; Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine; Royal College of Anaesthetists. Guidelines for the management of tracheal intubation in critically ill adults. Br J Anaesth. 2018;120(2):323-52.
Recommended Citation
Issar, Parul; Imam, Farha; Bhushan, Ashesh; and Chaudhary, Bhupendra.
2025
Tension Pneumothorax with Massive Subcutaneous Emphysema and the Battle for Airway Control.
Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine. 25,
3 (Dec. 2025 ), 27-29.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.70933/2773-9465.1265
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
