Intravenous Foreign Body at the Hand: Case Report

Abstract

Intravenous foreign bodies following trauma to the hand are relatively uncommon with sparse reports of this condition being published in the literature. They have been reported to migrate as far as the thoracic cavity and the heart. In the following case report, we describe a case of an intravenous foreign body following hand trauma, and the treatment and potential complications are also discussed.

Cephalic Vein Intravascular Foreign Body After a Penetrating Injury

“…In the case of a migratory foreign body to the chest cavity, consultation to cardiothoracic surgery is indicated for further management or retrieval. Alternatively, vascular surgery and/or interventional radiology consultation could be considered for minimally invasive removal using endovascular techniques 5,11 . Depending on the size and shape of the foreign body, these teams may attempt to retrieve the foreign body using a combination of loop snares, balloon catheters, intravascular baskets, or intravascular forceps 11 .…”

“…Most reports in the literature of intravenous foreign bodies are that of needles, stents, catheters, or other iatrogenically placed hardware 1,2 . Although traumatic intravenous foreign bodies have been reported on occasion, these case reports are largely made up of metal shrapnel fragments measuring less than 5 mm [4][5][6] . By contrast, our patient's foreign body was an intact nail that measure 20 mm.…”

“…ntravascular foreign bodies are uncommon occurrences that are typically iatrogenic secondary to failed hardware including stents, cannulas, needles, and catheters [1][2][3] . Most intravascular foreign bodies have been found in the arterial system, and venous foreign bodies after a trauma have rarely been reported in the literature [4][5][6] . These can ultimately lead to complications such as bleeding, infection, thrombus, and proximal migration to the thoracic cavity or heart 4 .…”