title: Penetrating head injury in a paediatric patient caused by an electrical plug.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Penetrating head injuries are rare especially in the paediatric age group. Relatively minor falls over common household objects can cause potentially life-threatening brain injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a penetrating head injury caused by a household electrical plug in a 6-month-old child. The two rounded pins of the plug were embedded in the posterior parietal area of her head, very close to the cranial midline. There was no neurological deterioration or bleeding. Radiological investigation showed a depressed skull fracture underneath the two pins. One of them came very close to the superior sagittal sinus but there was no evidence of intracranial bleeding. The electrical plug was extracted under general anaesthesia in the operating theatre. The penetrating fracture segments were removed. The sagittal venous sinus was fortunately undamaged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Household objects like electrical plugs may constitute a risk for children. It may be worthwhile to reconsider the design of electrical plugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Avenida Campanar, 21, 46009, Valencia, Spain. anlopezgon@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López González
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Marín
authors.forename: José Andrés
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alvarez Garijo
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vila Mengual
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D005260:Female; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020204:Skull Fracture, Depressed