High pressure injection injury

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High pressure injection injury
Other namesGrease gun injury, injection injury
Specialty Emergency medicine, plastic surgery

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]

Contents

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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parts washer</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 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.
  2. 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:10.1177/014107680209500512. PMC   1279682 . PMID   11983770.