Ultrasound: Foreign Body Removal

Part 2 in a SeriesAre you ready for summer? That means more bare feet, flip-flops, and the potential for foreign bodies of the foot and toe. We will continue to highlight tools and tricks to help you master soft tissue foreign body removal in the emergency department. A refresher on the basics of ultrasound is available in our blog post from last month: http://emn.online/1UGtduz.Foreign bodies of the toe or foot are common presentations in emergency departments, and one way to determine the size and shape of retained superficial foreign bodies is to use ultrasound and the linear probe. This simple technique may help you locate certain items quickly and more efficiently than just radiographs alone. We do, however, suggest obtaining plain A/P and lateral films of the foot or toe prior to completing this procedure.Keep in mind, only radiopaque foreign bodies (metal, glass, pencil graphite, gravel, and stone) will show up on plain film radiographs. All glass is radiopaque, and only small size limits its radiographic detection. Other objects, especially wood, plastic, dirt, cloth, aluminum, toothpicks, and small bones, are radiolucent and usually cannot be seen on plain films. Hidden retained wooden items guarantee a subsequent infection, which may cause extensive problems such as repeat visits, abscess formation, and surgeries, but studies show ultrasound is a useful tool to detect their presence. (J Emerg Med 2002;22[1]:75.)One study agreed, finding that ultrasound d...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs