Catheter irrigation as an unutilized novelty in the treatment of water-based paint injection injuries – a case illustration

Abstract

High-pressure injection injuries with paint have long been heralded as a condition requiring timely and aggressive debridement with relatively poor functional outcomes and a significant proportion of patients progressing to require amputation of the involved digit or limb. Catheter irrigation is regularly used in the treatment of common hand infections and wounds. However, this has not been described for the treatment of paint injection injuries. We describe a case of a young painter who sustained an accidental water-based paint injection injury and was successfully treated with minimally invasive surgical debridement augmented by the use of catheter irrigation, despite a delayed presentation. The patient had regained full function of his hand by four months from the index presentation and returned to work. We illustrate how not all high-pressure injection injuries require an extensive incision and that catheter irrigation can be a significant tool to augment a minimally invasive approach.