The Orthobullets Podcast Hand | High-Pressure Injection Injuries
Sep 7, 2025
High-pressure injection injuries in the hand are rare but critical, commonly affecting young male laborers. The podcast delves into the mechanisms of these injuries and warns of the urgent need for timely medical intervention. Listeners will learn about diagnosing and managing such injuries, emphasizing surgical treatment for better outcomes. The discussion highlights how the type of injected material can significantly influence recovery, making awareness and quick action paramount.
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Benign Entry, Devastating Injury
- High-pressure injection injuries produce extensive deep soft-tissue damage despite a benign-looking entry wound.
- Diagnosis depends on careful history and inspection and usually requires emergent surgical debridement.
Typical Patient And Devastating Mechanism
- These injuries often occur in young male laborers and most commonly affect the non-dominant index finger.
- Mechanism involves 3,000–10,000 PSI jets that dissect along neurovascular bundles and can cause vascular occlusion and necrosis.
Record Time And Material; Act Fast
- Document time since injury and the injected material because delays average ~9 hours and affect prognosis.
- Treat most cases with immediate operative irrigation and debridement rather than observation.