Self-extubation after major trauma: another trauma?

Self-extubation can lead to detrimental outcomes for the patient. Complications that result from self-extubation range from laryngeal injury, respiratory distress, arrhythmia, pneumonia, to even death. With respect to patient safety, not only is prevention of self-extubation one of the most important goals in all intensive care units around the world, but also it is one of the most common mishaps in the area of intensive care. Since self-extubation and consequent re-intubation are unexpected events, they can embarrass the medical staff and negatively affect the treatment choice, and consequently, require other invasive procedures that may not have been necessary. The most important thing for patients exposed to self-extubation is to keep in mind the presence of airway damage, which can be confirmed through our experience as described here, through repeated re-intubations and eventually tracheostomy.