Non-metallic foreign bodies – diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties

Abstract

Introduction: The management of wounds where the presence of a foreign body is possible can be a major problem. This is especially true for bodies that are not visible on x-ray. The most common of these are wood and glass. The size of the foreign body is also important. If even the smallest foreign body is left behind, it can cause permanent local tissue damage or contribute to a systemic infection such as sepsis or permanent local tissue damage. Foreign body recognition in one third of patients does not occur during primary provision. [1]The authors present four patients in whom a foreign body in the form of wood or glass was left in the wound after trauma. The diagnosis and removal of these foreign bodies caused many difficulties. The foreign bodies were not completely removed from the wounds after the injury, leading to an inflammatory process. The authors discuss the management of non-metallic foreign bodies in everyday medical practice.