Accidental burn injury during knee arthroscopy.
A case is described in which hot irrigation fluid used during a routine knee arthroscopy caused severe morbidity. The patient sustained full-thickness skin burns requiring debridement, a muscle flap, and split-skin grafting. The extent of the joint damage required fusion. The underlying factors included equipment failure but also a delay in appreciating the severity of the soft-tissue damage. This case highlights the need for a robust protocol for the management of warming the irrigation fluid, as well as monitoring the actual fluid temperature.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. George's Hospital, London, England.
Simon
S
Huang
David
D
Gateley
Anthony L H
AL
Moss
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003646:Debridement; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects