title: Penetrating injuries of the neck. Emergency evaluation and management.
abstract: The physician who is called upon to attend to a penetrating wound to the neck must set priorities in management. (1) Establish a safe airway. (2) Maintain adequate cardiocerebral perfusion. (3) Assess and identify the type and severity of the wound so that proper decisions can be made about further evaluation and/or transfer for immediate surgical intervention. All this can be accomplished in an orderly fashion by applying the principles for selective surgical exploration of neck wounds outlined in this article. A well-reasoned approach can help avoid unnecessary surgery and yields a high likelihood of recovery.
mesh_terms: D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D009333:Neck / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D019838:Neck Injuries; D010808:Physical Examination; D014140:Tracheotomy; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery