High pressure injection injury
A high pressure injection injury is an injury caused by high-pressure injection of oil, grease, diesel fuel, gasoline, solvents, water, or even air, into the body.[1] The most common causes are accidents with grease guns, paint sprayers, and pressure washers, but working on diesel and gasoline engine fuel injection systems as well as pinhole leaks in pressurized hydraulic lines can also cause this injury. Additionally, there is at least one known case of deliberate self-injection with a grease gun.[2]
| High pressure injection injury | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Grease gun injury, injection injury |
| Specialty | Emergency medicine, plastic surgery |
Although the initial wound often seems minor, the unseen, internal damage can be severe. With hydraulic fluids, paint, and detergents, these injuries are extremely serious as most hydraulic fluids and organic solvents are highly toxic. Delay in surgical treatment often leads to amputations or death.[1] But even with pure water or air, these injuries cause compartment syndrome which leads to cell death if surgical intervention is delayed.
See also
References
- Verhoeven, N; Hierner, R (April 2008). "High-pressure injection injury of the hand: an often underestimated trauma: case report with study of the literature". Strategies in Trauma and Limb Reconstruction (Online). 3 (1): 27–33. doi:10.1007/s11751-008-0029-9. PMC 2291478. PMID 18427921.
- Kalsi, JS; Arya, M; Peters, J; Minhas, S; Ralph, DJ (May 2002). "Grease-gun injury to the penis". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 95 (5): 254. doi:10.1258/jrsm.95.5.254. PMC 1279682. PMID 11983770.