Airway Management Cases From THE PITT

6 cases 4 episodes · S01E01 – S01E06

All emergency department cases involving Airway Management from The Pitt, documented with medically accurate clinical timelines, diagnostic workups, and expert clinical pearls.

Patient arriving in the trauma bay in a cervical collar with EKG leads placed. A distinct depression and erythema are visible over the right sternoclavicular joint.

S01E06 Moderate

18 · Male

Miles Hernandez

Right chest pain, left leg pain, and shortness of breath following a motor vehicle collision (ambulance into a tree).

18-year-old male presents to the ED under police escort after stealing an ambulance and crashing it into a tree. The patient was the driver. He presents with severe shortness of breath, stridor, right chest pain, and left leg deformity. His passenger, Zac, suffered only minor lacerations.

TraumaOrthopedics +1 more

Travis Johnson presenting to the ED with a herald bleed post-tonsillectomy.

S01E05 Complex

17 · Male

Travis Johnson

Spitting blood 10 days post-tonsillectomy

17-year-old male presents 10 days post-tonsillectomy (performed at St. Michael's for recurrent strep throat) with an episode of spitting up a 'couple mouthfuls' of blood starting about an hour prior to arrival. Patient denies any other medical problems, takes no medications, and specifically denies aspirin use. Lungs are clear bilaterally with no stridor. No abdominal pain or nausea initially. Parents are currently out of town.

ENTAirway Emergency +2 more

Patient presenting with massive facial trauma and epistaxis after an e-scooter collision.

S01E02 Brief

23 · Male

Ben Kemper

Facial trauma, neck contusion, and hemoptysis following a high-mechanism e-scooter crash.

23-year-old male arrives via EMS after getting 'doored' while riding an e-scooter without a helmet. Mechanism of injury involves his neck striking the handlebar, followed by a face-plant onto the pavement. He complains of blood pooling in the back of his throat.

TraumaAirway Management +2 more

Patient arriving via EMS in restraints, visibly distressed and yelling in pain.

S01E02 Complex

Adult · Female

Joyce St. Claire

Severe, diffuse body pain, initially flagged by EMS as 'drug-seeking behavior'.

Patient is an adult female with a known history of Sickle Cell Disease who was forcibly removed from a city bus and brought to the ED by EMS and police for 'disrupting and disturbing passengers.' Prehospital personnel labeled her as 'combative' and 'drug-seeking' because she was screaming for narcotics and possessed an empty Percocet bottle filled 5 days prior. Upon arrival, the patient was physically struggling with staff, stating her home medications were not working and that she was experiencing a severe vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis.

HematologyPain Management +5 more

Facial trauma presenting with avulsion of maxillary central incisor (Tooth #8).

S01E01 Brief

30s · Male

Charlie

Facial trauma and missing tooth following a bar altercation.

Patient presents to the ED following a bar fight. He sustained blunt facial trauma resulting in the complete avulsion of tooth number eight. Patient was initially evaluated, deemed stable, and prepped for discharge before the unaccounted missing tooth was noted during morning rounds.

TraumaDental +2 more

Patient arriving via EMS with LMA in place.

S01E01 Complex

42 · Male

Sam Wallace

Blunt head trauma with agonal respirations after fall onto subway tracks.

42-year-old male brought in by EMS. Jumped onto the T (subway) tracks to rescue a woman who had fallen. After successfully pulling her off the tracks, he slipped while climbing back up the platform, fell backward, and struck his head. EMS noted agonal respirations. They were unable to intubate in the field and placed an LMA (Laryngeal Mask Airway) prior to transport.

TraumaNeurology +2 more