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Case Report
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| Missed retained knife blade injury: A potentially lethal trap for the unwary | ||||||
| Victor Kong1, John Bruce2, Leah Naidoo3, George Oosthuizen4, Grant Laing2, Damian Clarke4 | ||||||
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1MBChB, Surgical Registrar, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Department of Surgery, Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
2FCS(SA), Consultant Trauma Surgeon, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Department of Surgery, Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. 3MBChB, Surgical House Officer, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Department of Surgery, Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. 4FCS(SA), Senior Consultant Trauma Surgeon, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Department of Surgery, Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa | ||||||
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| How to cite this article: |
| Kong V, Bruce J, Naidoo L, Oosthuizen G, Laing G, Clarke D. Missed retained knife blade injury: A potentially lethal trap for the unwary. International Journal of Case Reports and Images 2013;4(9):507–510. |
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Abstract
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Introduction:
Retained knife blade is an uncommon injury and they often present in a spectacular fashion. Concealed retained knife blade, however, is difficult to diagnose without a detailed clinical and radiological assessment. Extraction requires careful planning in a controlled environment, preferably in the operating theater.
Case Report: We present the highly unusual case of a 25-year-old male in whom a retained knife blade following a stab to the left anterior leg was missed on three separate visits to a rural hospital. Conclusion: Whilst diagnosis and management continues to be challenging, clinicians must always remain vigilant to the possibility of such injury. When the presentation is unclear, a high level of suspicion, careful clinical assessment and judicious use of radiography is of paramount importance. Early referral to a trauma center for definitive management is crucial. | |
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Keywords:
Missed injury, Retained knife blade, Extraction
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Author Contributions
Victor Kong – Substantial contributions to conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published John Bruce – Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published Leah Naidoo – Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published George Oosthuizen – Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published Grant Laing – Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published Damian Clarke – Acquisition of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published |
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Guarantor of submission
The corresponding author is the guarantor of submission. |
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Source of support
None |
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Conflict of interest
Authors declare no conflict of interest. |
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Copyright
© Victor Kong et al. 2013; This article is distributed the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any means provided the original authors and original publisher are properly credited. (Please see Copyright Policy for more information.) |
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