“Penetrating Neck Injuries: A Comprehensive Study”

In this study, 66 cases of penetrating neck injuries who presented to the emergency department from October 2018 to September 2020 were included. The particulars of the insult like type of instrument causing injury and zone of injury were compared. An analysis of the management of penetrating neck injury with respect to exploration and wound repair and the need for tracheostomy, vascular repair, esophageal repair, laryngeal framework repair and pharyngeal repair was made. The maximum incidence was observed for the age group between 21 and 30  years. The object causing the maximum number of neck injuries was knife, in 36 cases. The distribution of cases according to zone of injury revealed that the zone II was most commonly affected in 43 cases. The structures injured in the study indicated that platysma was involved in all the cases, f ollowed by thyroid cartilage in 33 cases. Wound exploration and repair was done in all cases and tracheostomy was done in 44 cases. Complications were vocal cord palsy in 19 patients, 15 had tracheal stenosis, 13 had hoarseness of voice, 7 developed pharyngocutaneous fistula and 1 developed pharynge al stenosis. There were 2 deaths. 16 patients who attempted suicide had depression. All penetrating neck injuries are potentially dangerous and require emergency treatment because of the presence of important vessels, nerves andorgans in the neck. Thorough knowledge of the anatomy of neck, clinical assessment and diagnostic and therapeutic interven...
Source: Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research