Arterial injury from a high pressure water jet: Case report

We report the case of a patient who sustained a high-pressure water jet injury to the thigh while cleaning industrial piping. The patient presented with a puncture wound to the anterior thigh and a pulseless foot. Emergency arteriography was performed that revealed complete disruption of the superficial femoral artery. The patient underwent surgical exploration and debridement, and a successful repair of the disrupted artery was performed with a prosthetic arterial graft. A discussion of high-pressure water jet injuries and their management is presented.