Penetrating injury to the floor of mouth in a child: Management of a challenging case

Abstract

Penetrating injuries of the oro-maxillofacial region are not only rare but difficult to manage in the pediatric age group. We report a case of a six-year-old girl who was injured with a penetrating reinforcing bar (rebar) in the floor of the mouth, where both ends of the rebar protruded out. The girl fell off a partially constructed terrace and was hanging with the rebar in her neck for hours. On examination, the vital structures of the neck were not involved. The child was taken for surgery after stabilization, abiding by COVID protocols. The rebar was removed under ketamine sedation with repair of the injury in the floor of her mouth. The postoperative period was uneventful and the child was discharged on the fifth postoperative day. Managing this pediatric trauma emergency was challenging in terms of imaging, securing an airway, and assuring parents about the choices for intervention during lockdown.

Keywords

• accident
• floor of mouth
• metal rod
• pediatric age
• penetrating injury
• trauma