A Sea-Urchin Spine Chilling Remedy

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 367; no. 19; pp. 1867 - 1868
• Main Authors: Gargus, Matthew D, Morohashi, David K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 08-11-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Cryosurgery; Foot Injuries - surgery; Humans; Injuries; Male; Metatarsophalangeal Joint - injuries; Metatarsophalangeal Joint - surgery; Nitrogen; Pain; Sea Urchins; Skin; Spine; Wounds, Stab - surgery; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1209382

Sea-urchin spines embedded in the skin can be hard to remove. The authors describe an approach to removal that uses liquid nitrogen.
To the Editor:
One of the potential consequences of recreational diving and surfing is injury caused by a sea-urchin spine. Injury can occur as people enter or exit rocky shorelines and is felt immediately as a sharp, localized pain, which is exacerbated by the application of pressure. If the removal of a spine is attempted with a scalpel or tweezers but is not fully successful, it is possible for the person to return home with the remnants of the spines fully buried.
1
Apart from appearing as sites of inflammation, spines may not be visible in soft tissue after a prolonged . . .