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Trick of Trade: Using Sterile Lubricating Gel to Manage Bloody Scalp Lacerations | A Simple Gel, a Big Fix

scalp laceration bloody gel
One of the classic scenarios encountered in the emergency department involves an elderly patient with medium to long hair who sustains a scalp laceration after a ground-level fall. They often arrive hemodynamically stable and without bony crepitus, yet the wound itself is challenging to evaluate. During transport, clotted blood frequently becomes entangled in their hair, forming a dense mat that obscures the laceration. The care team—technicians, nurses, residents, and physicians alike—may spend several minutes painstakingly separating hair and pressing on a tender scalp in an effort to expose the wound. This process is uncomfortable for the patient, time-consuming for staff, and often leaves behind residual clot. In many cases, the fallback option is to shave the matted area, which achieves exposure but results in a visible cosmetic defect.

Trick of the Trade

Applying sterile lubricating gel as a pre-irrigation adjunct [1]. It softens the clot, separates matted hair, and makes the whole process faster and gentler.

Technical Procedure · Emergency Medicine

Sterile Gel in Scalp Prep

How It Works

When a scalp laceration is obscured by clotted blood and tangled hair:

  1. Inspect for debris or foreign bodies; give a quick rinse if needed.
  2. Apply a generous amount of sterile, water-soluble lubricating gel (e.g., glycerin- or propylene-glycol–based).
  3. Wait 3-5 minutes to allow the gel to hydrate and loosen the clot, though clot dissolution is usually visible within 10-20 sec.
  4. Gently massage the area to separate hair and soften the meshwork.
  5. Irrigate or wipe with wet gauze to clear the gel. Saline or tap water both work great.
  6. Proceed with standard wound cleansing and repair once the wound is visible and clean.

In our experience with over a dozen cases at a tertiary emergency department, we found that this technique improved visualization, reduced discomfort, and required less follow-up irrigation overall—without any reported complications.

Why It’s Useful

  • Less irrigation, less hassle: Adequate wound visualization can often be achieved with less irrigation fluid.
  • Resource resilience: Especially useful in rural, wilderness medicine, or international emergency settings where any irrigant may be limited.
  • Patient comfort: Reduces painful scraping and hair pulling, with particular benefit noted in pediatric patients.
  • Safety: Sterile lubricating gels are non-cytotoxic, bacteriostatic, and easy to rinse off with whatever clean fluid you have on hand.

Important Notes

This gel trick is an adjunct, not a replacement, for wound irrigation and mechanical debridement. Avoid using this as the sole cleaning step in contaminated wounds.

Take-Home Points

Sterile lubricating gel can simplify scalp laceration prep by loosening clot and separating hair before irrigation. It is safe, inexpensive, and already available in most EDs.

References

  1. Kang JK, Shin MS, Song JK, Yun BM. Hair control during scalp surgery using a sterile gel technique. Arch Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2018;24(1):46-48. doi:10.14730/aaps.2018.24.1.46
By |2026-03-11T14:06:47-07:00Mar 18, 2026|Trauma, Tricks of the Trade|
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From Collision to Clarity: PECARN cervical spine injury prediction rule for injured children

PECARN cervical spine injury prediction tool featured image (adapted from Midjourney)

For years, adult literature has provided clear guidelines for cervical spine imaging through the NEXUS and Canadian C-spine Rule (CCR) tools. These have been invaluable in helping clinicians decide when to image the neck in trauma patients. Similarly, the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) has developed robust tools for assessing blunt head trauma in children. However, until now, there has been a gap in guidance for clinicians managing pediatric patients at risk for cervical spine injuries.

Case Scenario: What would you do?

A 10-year-old boy presents to the emergency department (ED) after a high-speed motor vehicle collision. He complains of neck pain and is reluctant to move his head. The child’s mother is extremely worried, fearing the worst after witnessing the collision.

The Problem

Cervical spine injuries in children, while uncommon, can be devastating if not identified and treated promptly. Emergency physicians often face the challenge of deciding whether to proceed with imaging, given the potential risks associated with ionizing radiation from CT scans. The lack of clear guidelines specifically tailored for pediatric patients has historically led to either overuse of imaging, with its associated risks, or underuse, with the risk of missed injuries.

PECARN Cervical Spine Injury Prediction Rule

On June 4, 2024, Lancet published “PECARN prediction rule for cervical spine imaging of children presenting to the emergency department with blunt trauma: a multicentre prospective observational study.” This study proposes a new clinical prediction rule to guide imaging decisions for pediatric cervical spine injuries.

The study enrolled 22,430 children, aged 0–17 years, presenting with blunt trauma across 18 PECARN-affiliated ED in the US. About half were in the derivation and half in the validation cohort. The researchers derived and validated a clinical prediction rule using data from these children, which identified key risk factors for cervical spine injury, divided into high-risk and non-negligible (intermediate) risk factors.

High Risk (>12.1% risk of injury) -> Consider CT

  • Altered mental status (GCS 3-8 or AVPU = U)
  • Abnormal airway
  • Breathing
  • Circulation findings
  • Focal neurological deficits

Intermediate Risk (2.8% risk of injury) -> Consider X-Rays

  • Neck pain or midline neck tenderness
  • Mental status: GCS 9-14, AVPU = V or P, or other signs of altered mental status
  • Substantial head or torso injury

Definition on Cervical Spine Injury

  • Fractures or ligamentous injuries of the cervical spine
  • Cervical intraspinal hemorrhage
  • Cerebral artery injury
  • Cervical spinal cord injury, including
    • Changes in the cervical spinal cord on MRI
    • Cervical spinal cord injury without radiographic association
PECARN Cervical Spine Injury Prediction Tool

PECARN Cervical Spine Injury Prediction Tool (Download full sized PDF at PECARN site)

The prediction rule had strong test characteristics with 94.3% sensitivity and 99.9% negative predictive value, indicating that it can reliably identify children who do not need imaging, thus avoiding unnecessary radiation exposure. This evidence-based approach to pediatric trauma care would have reduced the number of CT scans by more than 50% without missing clinically relevant injuries.

Case Example Resolution

Using the PECARN cervical spine injury prediction rule, the attending physician evaluates the boy and finds that he does not exhibit any high-risk factors. However, because he reports neck pain and has midline neck tenderness on exam (intermediate risk), the rule recommends that the cervical spine can not be clinically cleared. It also suggests plain x-rays and not a CT scan. This differs from the adult population whereby CT scan imaging is often the first choice for diagnostic testing.

The x-rays reveal no evidence of cervical spine injury, and the boy is cleared with instructions for follow-up care. This approach not only alleviated the mother’s anxiety but also avoided unnecessary radiation exposure for the child.

Reference

Leonard JC, Harding M, Cook LJ, et al. PECARN prediction rule for cervical spine imaging of children presenting to the emergency department with blunt trauma: a multicentre prospective observational study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2024;8(7):482-490. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00104-4. PMID 38843852

By |2026-01-08T21:25:20-08:00Jun 10, 2024|Pediatrics, Radiology, Trauma|
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Pigtail catheter for pleural drainage: Tips to minimize complications

pigtail

Traditionally large-bore tube thoracostomy has been the standard of care for treating many acute intrathoracic pathologies [1]. However, the advent of less invasive small-bore chest tubes, also known as pigtail catheters, has gradually led to a paradigm shift. Pigtails provide a less invasive and often better tolerated alternative to traditional chest tubes and allow for adequate treatment of pneumothoraces and uncomplicated pleural effusions [1-5]. Unfortunately, these less invasive catheters are not without complications – both unique and similar to traditional chest tubes.

Case

A 48 year-old male with a history of hypertension and polysubstance abuse presented to the emergency department (ED) for shortness of breath and was found to have a left sided parapneumonic pleural effusion (Figure 1). The patient underwent thoracentesis and placement of a pigtail catheter using the Seldinger technique to drain the fluid collection. Pigtail catheter placement was confirmed by chest x-ray (Figure 2).

pleural effusion chest x-ray

Figure 1: Chest x-ray with left sided pleural effusion

pleural effusion chest x-ray pigtail catheter

Figure 2: Chest x-ray with the pigtail catheter in the left chest

Case Progression

Despite pigtail catheter placement, there was minimal drainage from the catheter. In collaboration with the inpatient team, intrapleural thrombolytics were administered via the pigtail catheter did not resolve the issue. Although the patient’s chest x-ray did improve after the procedure, the patient continued to deteriorate clinically and became increasingly hypoxic.

A CT angiogram was then performed and showed that the pigtail catheter had been accidentally introduced through the lung parenchyma and was lodged in the left main stem bronchus (Figure 3). This was confirmed on bronchoscopy (Figure 4).

pigtail catheter chest ct in bronchus

Figure 3: Chest CT angiogram showing the pigtail catheter (arrow) in the left mainstem bronchus

bronchoscopy pigtail

Figure 4: Bronchoscopy view of the left mainstem bronchus showing the pigtail catheter

This case highlights one of the more rare and potentially severe complications of small-bore chest tubes. With the increasing utilization of such devices, this case  highlights the need for better education about the indications, complications, and troubleshooting approaches with these pigtail catheters. 

Complications

The overall complication rate for small-bore catheters is lower than their large-bore counterparts, partly because of their smaller caliber. Also unlike traditional large-bore tube thoracostomy, the lack of tactile feedback (not feeling the pleural puncture ‘pop’ with Kelly clamps and then identifying the intrapleural space with the finger) can lead to malpositioning complications. Both approaches, however, share common complications:

  • Most common complication: Chest tube kinking and obstruction [6, 7, 10]
    • Due to the small caliber of the pigtail catheter, it can easily become twisted or kinked between the pleura and lung parenchyma, obstructed within lung fissures, or kinked externally between the body and environment [9].
    • Obstruction may also occur from clotted blood [9] or pleural effusion loculations [12, 13] within the catheter lumen.
      • For loculated effusions and empyemas, an interdisciplinary inpatient discussion should weigh the pros and cons of intrapleural thrombolytics versus surgical drainage and pleurodesis.
      • One often used thrombolytic regimen is the MIST-II protocol, which involves the combination of alteplase (tPA) 10 mg BID plus dornase alfa (DNase) 5 mg BID [13, 14].
  • Laceration of tissue/vessel [2, 3, 6, 8]
    • Can be prevented by using standard landmarks and inserting above the rib margin
  • Air emboli [2, 3, 6, 9]
    • Thought to be due to parenchymal injury resulting in a fistula involving the pulmonary vessels
  • Parenchymal injury [9]

Tips to Minimize Pigtail Complications

  1. Utilize ultrasonography to map out the deepest pocket of fluid and to measure the distance from the chest wall to the heart [9].
    • For patients with a large body habitus, there may be too much tissue for your needle to reach the pleural cavity [9]. Use a traditional larger-bore chest tube instead.
  2. Insert the catheter above the target rib to avoid the neurovascular bundle and reduce the risk of bleeding [9].
  3. Place the catheter anterior to the anterior superior iliac spine to reduce the risk of the patient lying on and kinking the tube [9].
  4. If the catheter appears correctly positioned on AP chest x-ray but is malfunctioning, consider obtaining additional imaging to confirm placement [11]:
    • Lateral view chest-xray, or
    • Chest CT (can also help characterize the pleural effusion)

References

  1. Gammie JS, Banks MC, Fuhrman CR, et al. The pigtail catheter for pleural drainage: a less invasive alternative to tube thoracostomy. JSLS: Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 1999;3(1):57-61. PMID: 10323171
  2. Saqib A, Ibrahim U, Maroun R. An unusual complication of pigtail catheter insertion. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2018;10(10):5964-5967. doi:https://doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2018.05.65
  3. Broder JS, Al-Jarani B, Lanan B, Brooks K. Pigtail Catheter Insertion Error: Root Cause Analysis and Recommendations for Patient Safety. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020;53(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2019.10.003
  4. Vetrugno L, Guadagnin GM, Barbariol F, et al. Assessment of Pleural Effusion and Small Pleural Drain Insertion by Resident Doctors in an Intensive Care Unit: An Observational Study. Clinical Medicine Insights Circulatory, Respiratory and Pulmonary Medicine. 2019;13:1179548419871527. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1179548419871527
  5. Kulvatunyou N, Vijayasekaran A, Hansen A, et al. Two-year experience of using pigtail catheters to treat traumatic pneumothorax: a changing trend. J Trauma. 2011;71(5):1104-1107. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/ta.0b013e31822dd130
  6. Remérand F, Luce V, Badachi Y, Lu Q, Bouhemad B, Rouby JJ. Incidence of Chest Tube Malposition in the Critically Ill. Anesthesiology. 2007;106(6):1112-1119. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/01.anes.0000267594.80368.01
  7. Horsley A, Jones L, White J, Henry M. Efficacy and Complications of Small-Bore, Wire-Guided Chest Drains. Chest. 2006;130(6):1857-1863. doi:https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.130.6.1857
  8. Hyo Jin Kim, Yang Hyun Cho, Gee Young Suh, Jeong Hoon Yang, Jeon K. Subclavian Artery Laceration Caused by Pigtail Catheter Removal in a Patient with Pneumothorax. The Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine. 2015;30(2):119-122. doi:https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2015.30.2.119
  9. Anderson D, Chen SA, Godoy LA, Brown LM, Cooke DT. Comprehensive Review of Chest Tube Management: A Review. JAMA surgery. 2022;157(3):269-274. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2021.7050
  10. Aho JM, Ruparel RK, Rowse PG, Brahmbhatt RD, Jenkins D, Rivera M. Tube Thoracostomy: A Structured Review of Case Reports and a Standardized Format for Reporting Complications. World Journal of Surgery. 2015;39(11):2691-2706. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-015-3158-6
  11. Gayer G, Rozenman J, Hoffmann C, et al. CT diagnosis of malpositioned chest tubes. Br J Radiol. 2000;73(871):786-790. doi: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.73.871.11089474
  12. Altmann, E. S., Crossingham, I., Wilson, S., & Davies, H. R. (2019). Intra-pleural fibrinolytic therapy versus placebo, or a different fibrinolytic agent, in the treatment of adult parapneumonic effusions and empyema. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2019(10), CD002312. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002312.pub4
  13. Rahman NM, Maskell NA, West A, et al. Intrapleural use of tissue plasminogen activator and DNase in pleural infection. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(6):518-526. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1012740
  14. Chaddha U, Agrawal A, Feller-Kopman D, et al. Use of fibrinolytics and deoxyribonuclease in adult patients with pleural empyema: a consensus statement. Lancet Respir Med. 2021;9(9):1050-1064. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30533-6. PMID 33545086
By |2024-04-14T09:44:45-07:00Apr 12, 2024|Pulmonary, Trauma|
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ALiEM AIR Series | Trauma 2023 Module

Welcome to the AIR Trauma Module! After carefully reviewing all relevant posts in the past 12 months from the top 50 sites of the Digital Impact Factor [1], the ALiEM AIR Team is proud to present the highest quality online content related to related to trauma in the Emergency Department. 8 blog posts met our standard of online excellence and were approved for residency training by the AIR Series Board. More specifically, we identified 3 AIR and 5 Honorable Mentions. We recommend programs give 4 hours of III credit for this module.

AIR Stamp of Approval and Honorable Mentions

In an effort to truly emphasize the highest quality posts, we have 2 subsets of recommended resources. The AIR stamp of approval is awarded only to posts scoring above a strict scoring cut-off of ≥30 points (out of 35 total), based on our scoring instrument. The other subset is for “Honorable Mention” posts. These posts have been flagged by and agreed upon by AIR Board members as worthwhile, accurate, unbiased, and appropriately referenced despite an average score.

Take the AIR Trauma Module at ALiEMU

Interested in taking the AIR quiz for fun or asynchronous (Individualized Interactive Instruction) credit? Please go to the above link. You will need to create a free, 1-time login account.

Highlighted Quality Posts: Trauma

SiteArticleAuthorDateLabel
Rebel EMTrauma Resuscitation UpdateSalim Rezaie, MDMay 25, 2023AIR
EM DocsUnstable Pelvic Trauma PatientLuke Wohlford, MDJune 3, 2023AIR
EM DocsMaxillofacial TraumaForrest Turner, MDOctober 17, 2022AIR
Rebel EMPATCH trauma trialAnand Swaminathan, MDJune 19, 2023HM
Don’t Forget the BubblesBlast InjuriesAndrew Tagg, MDMarch 16, 2023HM
Don’t Forget the BubblesPenetrating Chest TraumaSarah Davies, MD and Kat Priddis, MDJuly 1, 2023HM
St Emlyns BlogRefresher on Blood Transfusion in TraumaRichard Carden, MDApril 13, 2023HM
RCEMlearningBlast InjuriesAlison Tompkins, MDJune 30, 2023HM

(AIR = Approved Instructional Resource; HM = Honorable Mention)

If you have any questions or comments on the AIR series, or this AIR module, please contact us!

Reference

  1. Lin M, Phipps M, Chan TM, et al. Digital Impact Factor: A Quality Index for Educational Blogs and Podcasts in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. Ann Emerg Med. 2023;82(1):55-65. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.02.011, PMID 36967275
By |2023-10-30T20:57:25-07:00Nov 3, 2023|Approved Instructional Resources (AIR series), Expert Peer Reviewed (Clinical), Trauma|
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SAEM Clinical Images Series: Only a Flesh Wound

flesh

A 49-year-old male was triaged to the Fast Track area with complaints of an abrasion to the neck following an assault. The patient was attending a party with his family when “someone started shooting.” The patient believes some stucco or stone fragment from a brick wall struck him in the neck during the initial incident, but his primary concern was for his more seriously wounded family members. He now presents requesting “Neosporin.” His tetanus status is out of date.

General: Well-appearing male in no distress

Neck: Hemostatic wound to his left neck. No significant pain, no hematoma, no bruits.

Neuro: Exam is non-focal

Non-contributory

This is a zone 2 injury to the neck. Despite the small size of the wound, a piece of metallic shrapnel from the splintered bullet is noted adjacent to the carotid on CT imaging. Penetrating wounds can be deceptively innocuous, and a high index of suspicion is required. In cases where the nature of the missile is known, plain films or POCUS may be a reasonable first step, but CT imaging would be definitive.

Development of hoarseness or a Horner syndrome on the affected side may indicate involvement of the carotid sheath, and an angiogram may be considered, though CTA compares favorably to angiography in penetrating as opposed to blunt arterial trauma.

Take-Home Points

  • “Superficial” wounds must be evaluated diligently for any signs of deeper extension, and advanced imaging obtained for any suspicious findings or concerning mechanism of injury.
  • CTA is likely to be adequate in most cases of penetrating trauma, but a role may still exist for angiography in the presence of compelling clinical findings.

  • Goodwin RB, Beery PR 2nd, Dorbish RJ, et al. Computed tomographic angiography versus conventional angiography for the diagnosis of blunt cerebrovascular injury in trauma patients. The Journal of Trauma. 2009 Nov;67(5):1046-1050. DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e3181b83b63. PMID: 19901666.
  • Múnera F, Soto JA, Palacio D, Velez SM, Medina E. Diagnosis of arterial injuries caused by penetrating trauma to the neck: comparison of helical CT angiography and conventional angiography. Radiology. 2000 Aug;216(2):356-62. doi: 10.1148/radiology.216.2.r00jl25356. PMID: 10924553.

Copyright

Images and cases from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Clinical Images Exhibit at the 2023 SAEM Annual Meeting | Copyrighted by SAEM 2023 – all rights reserved. View other cases from this Clinical Image Series on ALiEM.

By |2023-09-14T13:12:37-07:00Sep 29, 2023|SAEM Clinical Images, Trauma|
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SAEM Clinical Images Series: A Rare Cause of Post-traumatic Neck Pain

neck pain

A 15-year-old male presents to the pediatric Emergency Department (ED) for evaluation of neck pain for three weeks. The patient is vague as to the development of his symptoms, but his mother reveals patient was assaulted by peers three weeks ago and has had progressively worsening neck pain and stiffness. The patient states symptoms have gotten to the point where he is unable to turn his head but denies fevers, chills, nausea, vomiting, focal weakness, or sensory changes.

Vitals: Temp: 99.4°F; HR 80; RR 18; SpO2 98% on room air

Constitutional: No distress, sitting rigidly in bed.

Neck: Cervical midline tenderness noted with rigid neck and severe tenderness with manipulation, no swelling, erythema, or masses noted.

HEENT: No pharyngeal injection, no visible masses in the oropharynx, no trismus.

CV: Regular rate and rhythm, no murmurs, rubs, or gallops. Good peripheral perfusion.

Abdomen: Soft, non-distended and non-tender.

Neuro: 5/5 motor function to the bilateral upper and lower extremities, normal sensory examination, cranial nerves intact. Negative Kernig’s sign.

White blood cell (WBC) count: 9.5

Platelets: 639

Glucose: 105

CRP: 128

ESR: 100

CSF: Color- Clear; Nucleated Cells- 1; Protein- 25; Glucose- 6

This patient was found to have septic arthritis of the atlantooccipital (AO) joint, noted on the CT shown above, with joint space narrowing and erosion (red arrow) of the right AO joint with associated soft tissue swelling and effusion. Seen on the MRI is further confirmation of the findings suggested on CT of septic arthritis, with additional noting of attenuation of the prevertebral space of C2/C3 suggestive of phlegmon, bilateral AO joint arthritis, and involvement of the atlantoaxial joint, all of which can be seen on the above sagittal cut of the MRI, with the most notable being the pre-vertebral phlegmon (red arrow).

Septic arthritis of the facet joints is a rarity, particularly in pediatrics and in the cervical spine; case reports largely describe a lumbar location in elderly adults with predisposing comorbidities (intravenous drug use, diabetes, immunosuppression) for spontaneous infection. There are no published case reports of traumatic, pediatric AO joint septic arthritis. This patient developed septic arthritis following trauma. As with peripheral septic arthritis, the most common cause is hematogenous spread, and even non-penetrating trauma can predispose a joint to infection as likely occurred in this case. Septic arthritis of the facet joints presents similarly to spondylodiscitis, generally with fever, neck or back pain, and elevated inflammatory markers such as CRP/ESR. If left untreated, it can be a dangerous and refractory cause of sepsis that leads to deadly complications such as concomitant epidural access formation. Oftentimes patients are initially misdiagnosed and re-present multiple times as the preferred image modality for diagnosis is MRI which is not always readily available or ordered. In general, treatment generally includes weeks-long courses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics, though this patient was discharged on oral antibiotics after significant symptomatic improvement on IV therapy after four days.

Take-Home Points

  • Septic arthritis of the cervical facet joints, namely the AO joint, is a rare cause of neck pain in patients with fever and elevated inflammatory markers, and can present after trauma. Generally, it is hematogenously spread and associated with comorbidities such as diabetes, intravenous drug use, and immunosuppression, it should be considered in patients with refractory symptoms or in which there is strong suspicion as it can have dangerous complications.
  • The preferred imaging modality for diagnosis is MRI, though CT can be useful in making the diagnosis radiographically. Treatment generally consists of weeks of IV antibiotics.

  • Sethi S, Vithayathil MK. Cervical facet joint septic arthritis: a real pain in the neck. BMJ Case Rep. 2017 Aug 3;2017:bcr2016218510. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2016-218510. PMID: 28775081; PMCID: PMC5612571.
  • Narváez J, Nolla JM, Narváez JA, Martinez-Carnicero L, De Lama E, Gómez-Vaquero C, Murillo O, Valverde J, Ariza J. Spontaneous pyogenic facet joint infection. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Apr;35(5):272-83. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2005.09.003. PMID: 16616150.

Copyright

Images and cases from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Clinical Images Exhibit at the 2021 SAEM Annual Meeting | Copyrighted by SAEM 2021 – all rights reserved. View other cases from this Clinical Image Series on ALiEM.

By |2023-02-25T21:14:43-08:00Feb 27, 2023|Infectious Disease, Pediatrics, SAEM Clinical Images, Trauma|
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SAEM Clinical Image Series: Snowball Effects

A 13-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with complaints of a right eye injury. Five hours prior to arrival, he was struck directly in the right eye with a snowball resulting in immediate eye pain, localized swelling, some flashes of light in his vision and blurry vision. Prior to arrival, the patient had been seen at an optometry center where puff pressures of his eyes were obtained and the right eye was noted to have an increased intraocular pressure (IOP) of 46 mmHg compared to a pressure of 13 mmHg on the left. He continued to endorse photophobia and mild right eye pain.

 

eye

 

Eye:

  • No bony tenderness or crepitus surrounding the right eye
  • Positive blood fluid level in the anterior chamber
  • EOMI
  • On confrontation of visual fields, the patient was unable to count fingers in all fields on the right but could detect light and movement
  • Red reflex could not be elicited on fundoscopic exam
  • On fluorescein exam, no flow of aqueous humor and no corneal abrasions
  • Tono-Pen IOP measurements were 41mmHg in the right eye, and 27 mmHg in the left eye

Non-contributory

The red flags include a history of vision loss and the presence of ocular hypertension with the hyphema. Ophthalmology was emergently consulted for the intraocular hypertension. By the time of evaluation by the specialist, the patient stated that his vision was less blurry and he did not see any spots in his vision. The photos demonstrate progression of the traumatic hyphema from grade IV, to grade II, and then grade I.

 

The emergent conditions that must be addressed include open globe and intraocular hypertension. Ophthalmology IOP measurements were 14 mmHg bilaterally. Visual acuities were 20/40 on the right and 20/20 on the left. A dilated eye exam with the slit lamp could not fully assess the posterior eye structures due to haziness. A metal eye shield was applied to the patient’s right eye, and he was discharged with cyclopentolate and prednisolone acetate eye drops, and an ophthalmology follow-up appointment within 24 hours. The patient was instructed to be on bed rest with the head of the bed elevated and to avoid straining.

 

 

Take-Home Points

  • In traumatic eye injury, pay attention to eye color changes with grade IV hyphema which can be missed unless you compare it to the uninjured side.
  • Look for features of an open globe which include irregularly shaped pupils, delayed consensual light response, extrusion of vitreous, Seidel’s sign (fluorescein streaming of tears away from the puncture site).
  • Beware of intraocular hypertension (>21 mmHg) with high-grade traumatic hyphema which needs to be emergently addressed to prevent optic nerve atrophy and permanent vision loss.

  • Brandt MT, Haug RH. Traumatic hyphema: a comprehensive review. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2001 Dec;59(12):1462-70. doi: 10.1053/joms.2001.28284. PMID: 11732035.
  • Gharaibeh A, Savage HI, Scherer RW, Goldberg MF, Lindsley K. Medical interventions for traumatic hyphema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jan 19;(1):CD005431. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005431.pub2. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;12:CD005431. PMID: 21249670; PMCID: PMC3437611.

Copyright

Images and cases from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Clinical Images Exhibit at the 2021 SAEM Annual Meeting | Copyrighted by SAEM 2021 – all rights reserved. View other cases from this Clinical Image Series on ALiEM.

 

By |2022-02-25T11:19:17-08:00Mar 7, 2022|HEENT, Ophthalmology, SAEM Clinical Images, Trauma|
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