Dr. Munawar Aziz
A young lady gave history of being injected in her buttocks (intragluteal site) by an untrained female health worker. Within the next week of the injection, she started feeling pain at the injection site especially while sitting.
Suspecting an infection, she was advised an X-ray of the injection site, which revealed a broken needle embedded deep in the buttocks. Additional tests, including ultrasound imaging to determine the precise location and an MRI, were performed.
(Fearing a reprisal, the un-trained “health worker” didn’t tell the lady about the incidence.) Subsequently she had to undergo unnecessary laboratory tests and an expensive surgery due to negligence. She was referred to a surgeon who successfully operated on her and removed the needle.
A broken intramuscular (IM) needle in the buttocks is a rare but concerning complication that can occur during injections. While needle breakage is uncommon, it can lead to discomfort, infection, and significant anxiety for patients. Understanding the causes, potential complications, and appropriate management is crucial for healthcare providers and patients alike.
In this case, the culprit was an untrained worker who was not qualified to administer injections. Improper techniques, such as forceful or angled insertion, and failing to instruct the patient to remain still during the injection, can increase the risk of needle breakage. Although rare, manufacturing defects can also contribute to such incidents, which can be avoided by using authentic brands and inspecting syringes before administering injections.
This is clearly a case of negligence and raises questions about the efficiency of the authorities concerned, who are responsible for addressing the menace of quackery and untrained health workers who continue to endanger the lives of innocent people. The patient is also partially to blame, as she chose an unauthorized setup for her injection.
Lesson to be learnt is to avoid injectable if oral therapy is available, but if injections are un-avoidable then proper protocol should be followed.
- Dr. Munawar Aziz
Abbottabad, Pakistan.
aziz.munawar@gmail.com
The responsibility rests squarely with the health authorities. However, this case would be of little interest to the people who matter as they have most of their treatments abroad at the expense of these very poor people. As there is no law in Pakistan at present, we should all try to avoid doctors, lawyers and police !
Very sad incidence. It’s a height of quackery..🫣
A broken injection needle lodged inside tissue, during injecting procedure is undoubtedly a rare occurrence. This incident is significant enough to warrant documentation in a scientific case report, both to alert the international medical community and for record-keeping purposes. To my knowledge, I have neither encountered nor come across a similar case in the literature. Such an event might be attributed to heightened anxiety or sudden movements during the procedure.
Nobody can beat you in choosing the title for your articles. You never know how many incidents have happened but never reported. This is really very sad reality which we face in our country. Just pray for the better future for our next generation.
Very interesting story/article. Bad professional in health sector can affect an individual adversely but a bad professional in education can destroy a big part of our society