Subcutaneous emphysema is the accumulation of air or gas bubbles in tissues located in various parts of the body, even on the abdomen, legs and hands. Such an air cushion can squeeze large arteries and blood vessels. As a result, the patient develops cardiovascular insufficiency and other diseases, as well as injuring some organs.
Causes of subcutaneous emphysema
The cause of subcutaneous emphysema is most often a deep external wound of the chest, which lets air into the tissues, but does not allow it to go back. Also this disease can appear after:
- damage to the bronchi, esophagus or trachea, when the mediastinal pleura is damaged, and air freely penetrates from the mediastinum into the cavity of the pleura;
- simultaneous disruption of the integrity of the lung and parietal pleura;
- inhalation of toxic substances;
- damage to the airways.
The causes of subcutaneous emphysema of the chest are chronic bronchitis and artificial ventilation of the lungs. Develops such a disease and those who have long and many smokes. Very often, subcutaneous emphysema occurs with pneumothorax .
Provoke the emergence of such a pathology can pumping the abdominal cavity with carbon dioxide, which is performed with laparoscopic operations. This type of emphysema is called mediastinal. The gas introduced into the abdominal cavity can easily spread to the neck, face or collarbone.
Symptoms of subcutaneous emphysema
The most common symptoms of subcutaneous emphysema are:
- labored breathing;
- swelling in the neck;
- pain in the chest when breathing or in the throat when swallowing;
- swelling of the skin in the absence of signs of inflammation.
With pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema always stands out on the surface of the skin. With a suffocating type of disease, it rapidly grows and spreads throughout the body. In just a few weeks, the appearance of the patient changes beyond recognition and his heart rate changes.
If such a pathology develops in the neck, the patient may have a slightly different voice, and also has cyanosis of the facial skin. The respiration on the damage side is almost always weakened. Usually when you palpate, the patient will not feel any discomfort, but when you press the area of the air accumulation, a characteristic sound is heard that resembles the crunch of snow.
When subcutaneous chest emfasmosis is started, the tissues adjacent to it swell so much that they are noticeable to the naked eye. Usually it develops only on one side. The thorax is expanded barrel-shaped. The patient may have a fastening or a high drop in blood pressure. If the patient is not provided with such a
Treatment of subcutaneous emphysema
To detect this disease it is possible at simple palpation, by means of a roentgen or a computer tomography. Treatment of subcutaneous emphysema should be started immediately after its diagnosis, as its growth and spread can provoke squeezing of various organs and development of dangerous and life-threatening disorders.
Eliminate subcutaneous emphysema quite simply. Usually, water-jet suction or drainage is used for this. These devices drain the pleural cavity. If the lesion is small, the patient can make small incisions of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Open wounds of the chest cavity, which are accompanied by emphysema, are subject to prompt treatment in all cases.