Emergency Lifesaving Management of a Homicidal Cut-Throat Injury: A Case Report

Patients with cut-throat injuries presenting to the emergency department pose a serious challenge and often require a multidisciplinary mode of management. The role of an anesthesiologist is primarily airway management, either by endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy. Securing a definitive airway before wound exploration and repair of transected tissues is difficult as such injuries are often accompanied by distortion of the airway anatomy complicated by vascular or tissue bleed. Here, we report a case of a homicidal cut-throat injury in a 55-year-old female who was bleeding profusely from the neck, along with airway compromise in the form of a transected trachea. Timely intervention by a multidisciplinary team consisting of anesthesiologists and otorhinolaryngologists resulted in a favorable outcome.