title: Sharp neck injuries in suicidal intention.
abstract: Sharp neck injuries in suicidal intention often present as serious emergency situations with the need for an immediate diagnosis and treatment. We report our study of the clinical evolution of this emergency condition. This study investigates the cases of sharp neck injuries in suicidal intention treated at our institution between 2000 and 2010. Patient records were collected in a retrospectively reviewed and analyzed database. The current literature was compared to our findings. We found 36 cases (10 female and 26 male). The neck injuries were superficial and profound in 16 and 20 patients, respectively. Twenty-two patients were seen by the Head and Neck surgeon. A surgical neck exploration was necessary in 19 cases. Tracheal, laryngeal, pharyngeal and vascular injuries were found in one, five, three and three cases, respectively. The hospital stay ranged from 1 to 47 days. All the patients underwent emergency psychiatric assessment and were subsequently referred for psychiatric treatment. One patient died in the emergency room from an additional arterial injury to the wrist. Sharp neck injuries in suicidal intention treated with an interdisciplinary medical, surgical and psychiatric emergency assessment and treatment have low mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. damien.bietry@insel.ch.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biétry
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aristomenis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Exadaktylos
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zbären
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caversaccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Inselspital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058109:Airway Management; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cutting; Neck injuries; Sharp injury; Stabbing; Suicide