Timely management of penetrating neck trauma: Report of three cases

Abstract

In head and neck surgery, penetrating neck injuries are uncommon. The neck contains many important structures, so such trauma can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A patient with penetrating neck trauma should be examined promptly in the emergency room. If possible, damaged tissue and organ fragments should be preserved carefully.

Nonfatal Cervical-Neck Lesion With a Wooden Foreign Body

“…6 The foreign body located in the neck must be removed as soon as possible, especially when it reaches cerebral cortex centers or blood vessels. [7][8][9] One-third of all foreign bodies remain unnoticed at initial examination and reveal their presence in a later stage. 10 Every injury involving the neck has to be debrided and carefully examined.…”

Bridging the Gap: A Novel Method for Hemorrhage Control

“…This case report adds to that body of knowledge and shows that the iTClamp may be a viable option to DMP or wound packing alone to controlling hemorrhage in junctional/penetrating neck injury, especially when combined with packing. It is however recommended as with any modality for controlling hemorrhage in the neck that the patient is continually monitored for hematoma, edema and any airway issues [3]. While no airway issues were seen in this case, it is recommended that care providers continue to monitor the airway after iTClamp application with the same care and jurisprudence as it would be if DMP were utilized.…”

“…PNIs have a high mortality and complication rate [2,3], and appropriate and timely management of these junctional injuries is time critical [2,3], including the completion of adjunctive measures such as CT scan. DMP is suggested as a first line response to PNI [6][7][8][9], but is also associated with a low efficacy rate [7].…”

“…This lack of protection in the neck not only contributes to physician angst during treatment, but also to the high mortality and complication rate when injury occurs [2][3][4]. Airway compromise and exsanguination are both very high priorities and the time required to deal with one can be to the detriment of the other.…”

A Rare Case of Isolated Auricular Injury Caused by a Tree Branch During a Traffic Accident

“…Head and neck injuries are the most common cause of death. In cases of head and neck injuries that cause morbidity, most involve drivers and frontseat passengers (2,3). In the present report, we present a rare isolated example of a penetrating neck trauma caused by a tree branch during a car accident, commencing in the temporal region and extending from the external auditory canal and retromandibular area.…”