see also [[pneumothorax#Bronchopleural fistula]], [[Blunt laryngeal injury]] - intrabronchial bleeding can lead to severe hypoxemia and rapid death - haemorrhage into dependent alveoli hinders gas exchange similar to drowning - if bleeding severe, a double-lumen ETT can be used as a temporizing measure to confine the bleeding to one lung injuries to major bronchi occur primarily due to rapid deceleration injuries → shearing forces most tracheobronchial injuries occur within 2cm of carina at origin of lobar bronchi **signs** - dyspnea, haemoptysis, s/c emphysema, hamman's sign, sternal tenderness - large [[pneumothorax]] or [[Pneumomediastinum]] - ==bronchoscopy is gold standard for dx, operative repair can prevent significant complications== - *the air leak due to bronchopleural fistula following [[Thoracostomy|tube thoracostomy]] is continuous and massive*