title: Inadvertent intraspinal placement of a Foley catheter in severe craniofacial injury with associated atlanto-occipital dislocation: case report.
abstract: A case of fatal, inadvertent, intraspinal placement of a Foley urinary catheter is presented. The patient suffered a severe craniofacial injury with life-threatening epistaxis requiring emergent tamponade with two Foley catheters plus gauze packing. There was an associated atlanto-occipital dislocation. The mechanism of production is discussed, and guidelines to avoid this complication are outlined.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Porras
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cabezudo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lorenzana
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garcia-Yagüe
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Sanchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D021721:Balloon Occlusion; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery