Obstructive Fibrinous Tracheal Pasudomembrane: A very rare and life-thretening complication of the endotracheal intubation

Abstract

[eng] Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane is a rare complication associated with endotracheal intubation. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy hospitalized for a severe abdominal trauma. The boy remained intubated for 4 days. After extubation he started to have stridor and acute respiratory distress so a reintubation was necessary. After 24 hours, an elective extubation was performed and the boy presented stridor and dyspnoea with no improvement with medical treatment. A fibrinous mobile membrane was seen during a flexible bronchoscopy. The pseudomembrane was removed and the patient remained asymptomatic. The knowledge and an early diagnosis of this pathology is very important due to be a life-threatening complication.