A case of transanal barotrauma by high-pressure compressed air leading to transverse colon perforation with extensive colon serosal tear

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Compressed air is used to apply paint, wash vehicles or machines, and remove water droplets after washing the precision instrument. Barotrauma due to high-pressure compressed air is extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of transverse colon perforation caused by a compressed air gun in a 20-year-old male. He used a compressed air machine to dust after work, and a coworker inserted compressed air transanally as a joke. Although he returned home once, he consulted a former hospital with worsening abdominal pain. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed a massive amount of free air. The patient was admitted to our hospital. The patient underwent emergency surgery. Transverse colon perforation with extensive serosal tears and massive air bubbles inside the omental bursa were observed. Double-barrel colostomy using transverse colon perforation point for decompression and diverting the stoma at the ileum end was performed with serosal tear repair and abdominal cleaning drainage. Four months after the surgery, the patient underwent colostomy and diverting stoma closure. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The management of colon injury due to compressed air has two aspects: tension pneumoperitoneum and colon injury. The initial management of tension pneumoperitoneum is converted to open pneumoperitoneum and early emergency operation for colon injury is recommended as soon as full-thickness perforation is diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Transanal high-pressure compressed air can cause lethal situations, and we encountered a similar case that required surgical intervention.