High-pressure water injection injury: emergency presentation and management

Presentations of high-pressure water blaster injuries to the emergency department are varied. Though these injuries are sometimes described as a 'benign variant' of high-pressure injection injuries, external appearances can be deceptive. These injuries can produce an unexpected pattern of severe internal injury and infectious complications. Such injuries are surgical emergencies and must be evaluated quickly and thoroughly in the emergency department. We review the current literature of these injuries and present the first reported case involving a forearm injury.