Revue de stomatologie et de chirurgie maxillo-faciale
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Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac · Jan 1992
Case ReportsInadvertent intracranial placement of a Foley catheter. A rare iatrogenic complication of severe frontomaxillary trauma.
Severe comminuted fractures of the facial bones involving the cranial base are often accompanied by heavy bleeding into the nasopharynx. This presents considerable problems in primary care both for the anesthesiologist and the surgeon. ⋯ Skull base fractures may involve the risk of the catheter inadvertently penetrating into the brain. The authors describe a case in which a misguided Foley catheter, which was blindly inserted through the nose in an attempt to tampon the nasopharynx, resulted in fatal cerebral damage.