Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T03:21:43.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Penetrating craniofacial trauma from a vice clamp: case report and discussion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2015

Colleen Kjelland*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Warren Thirsk
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
*
Kingsway Emergency Agency, Royal Alexandra Hospital, 541 CSC, 10240 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5H 3V9; cryan@ualberta.ca

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Penetrating craniofacial trauma, although uncommon, has a high potential for death or serious morbidity from injury to vital neurovascular structures. An in situ facial foreign body, particularly if large, presents significant challenges beyond safe and timely removal. Airway management, stabilization of the object, management of increased intracranial pressure, and identification of injuries to local structures are all issues that may require addressing. We present a case of penetrating facial trauma from a vice clamp, with an in situ foreign body, that illustrates several of these challenges and provides a forum for their discussion.

Type
Case Report • Rapport de cas
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2011

References

REFERENCES

1.McGinnes, G, Howes, D. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis: a simple, vision-saving procedure. CJEM 2002;4:4952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Sasser, SM, Hunt, RC, Sullivent, EE, et al. Guidelines for field triage of injured patients. Recommendations of the National Expert Panel on Field Triage. MMWR Recomm Rep 2009;58(RR-1):135.Google Scholar
3.Haut, ER, Kalish, BT, Efron, DT, et al. Spine immobilization in penetrating trauma: more harm than good? J Trauma 2010;68:115–21.Google Scholar
4.Nee, PA, Benger, J, Walls, RM. Airway management. Emerg Med J 2008;25:98102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Reynolds, SF, Heffner, J. Airway management of the critically ill patient: rapid sequence intubation (Critical Care Review). Chest 2005;127:1397–412.Google Scholar
6.Joly, LM, Oswald, AM, Disdet, M, et al. Difficult endotracheal intubation as a result of penetrating cranio-facial injury by an arrow. Anesth Analg 2002;94:231–2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Eidsness, R, Coupal, DJ, Kelly, ME, et al. Traumatic orbital injury. J Trauma 2007;62:1286–7.Google Scholar
8.Eppley, BL. Craniofacial impalement injury: a rake in the face. J Craniofac Surg 2002;13:35–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Hatton, MP, Chen, SH, Bernardino, CR, et al. Trans-orbital foreign body with intracranial extension. J Trauma 2006;61:752–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Kaye, K, Kilgore, KP, Grorud, C. Transoral crossbow injury: an unusual case of central nervous system foreign body. J Trauma 2004;57:653–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Sharma, A, Pandey, A, Diyora, B, et al. Intracranial penetration of a glass piece through the temporal region in civilian head injury. J Trauma 2006;60:891–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Youssef, AS, Morgan, JM, Padhya, T, et al. Penetrating craniofacial injury inflicted by a knife. J Trauma 2008;64: 1622–24.Google Scholar
13.Michael, DB. Gunshot wounds to the head. Contemp Neurosurg 1995;17:15.Google Scholar
14.Netter, FH. Atlas of human anatomy. 2nd ed. East Hanover, (NJ): Novartix; 1999.Google Scholar
15.Baker, RS, Epstein, AD. Ocular motor abnormalities from head trauma. Surv Ophthalmol 1991;35:245–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Celikoz, B, Duman, H, Selmanpakoglu, N. Bilateral traumatic abducens palsy as a complication of a frontal-nasal-orbitalethmoidal fracture. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1996;54:1471–4.Google Scholar
17.Holmes, JM, Droste, PJ, Beck, RW. The natural history of acute traumatic sixth nerve palsy or paresis. J AAPOS 1998; 2:265–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed