High-pressure injection injuries.

Abstract

High-pressure injection injuries are potentially disabling forms of trauma. Three cases are presented of patients who sustained high-pressure injuries from paint, air and water. Injuries from paint require emergency surgical débridement and exploration because of the extreme tissue toxicity of the injected material. The patient in this study had a favourable outcome after delayed closure of his wound and extensive physiotherapy. High-pressure injuries resulting from air and water can be managed conservatively, as in the two patients reported in this paper. Their treatment included tetanus prophylaxis, irrigation, dressings, splinting, admission to hospital, intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics, radiologic assessment and careful neurovascular evaluation. Surgical débridement and exploration were not necessary.