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Neck Lacerations and Penetrating Injuries, Sports Medicine

Se Won Lee, MD Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

  • Unstawble patients with penetrating neck trauma should receive definitive care in the operating room.

  • Stable patients should be transferred to a trauma center.

  • Occlusive dressings that are soaked...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Careful examination of the wound to determine integrity of the platysma

  • Wounds should never be blindly probed because this may result in uncontrolled hemorrhage.

  • Lateral neck radiograph to eva...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Esophageal and venous injuries are subtle and often missed.

  • Initial stabilization: “C-ABCDE” approaches. “C” refers to circulation and hemorrhage control and “A” refers to air...

REFERENCES

1
Kendall JL, Anglin D, Demetriades D. Penetrating neck trauma. Emerg Med Clin North Am.  1998;16(1):85–105.
2
Biffl WL, Moore EE, Rehse DH, et al. Selective management of penetrating nec...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Inaba K, Munera F, McKenney M, et al. Prospective evaluation of screening multislice helical computed tomographic angiography in the initial evaluation of penetrating neck injuries....

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • The majority of penetrating neck injuries occur at zone II between the cricoid cartilage to the mandibular angle.

  • Exsanguination is the most common cause of immediate death, so hemorrha...

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