Two cases of complete bronchial rupture and one case of tracheobronchial rupture by blunt chest trauma were treated at the Thoracic Surgical and Respiratory Endoscopy Department of the Hospital Universitário Cajuru in a period of 2 years. The surgical technique used was end-to-end anastomosis with interrupt absorbable suture after either resection of the stenotic edges or debridement of the lacerated edges. All three patients have had good recovery. The mean period to remove the chest tubes was 3.6 days, and the mean period of discharge from the Thoracic Surgical Department was 5.6 days. The follow-up was made using chest X-ray (PA and lateral projections), lung function tests, and bronchoscopy.

Keywords: Tracheobronchial rupture. Blunt chest trauma. Evaluation. Treatment.

Objective: To create a mechanical model that could be regulated to simulate the conditioning of inspired and expired air with the same normal values of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity as those of the respiratory system of a healthy young man on mechanical ventilation. Methods: Using several types of materials, a mechanical device was built and regulated using normal values of vital capacity, tidal volume, maximal inspiratory pressure, positive end-expiratory pressure, and gas temperature in the system. The device was submitted to mechanical ventilation for a period of 29.8 min. The changes in the temperature of the air circulating in the system were recorded every two seconds. Results: The statistical analysis of the data collected revealed that the device was approximately as efficient in the conditioning of air as is the respiratory system of a human being. Conclusion: By the study endpoint, we had developed a mechanical device capable of simulating the conditioning of air in the respiratory tract. The device mimics the conditions of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity seen in the respiratory system of healthy individuals.

Keywords: Thermodynamics; Respiration, artificial; Temperature.