Managing Body Jewelry in Emergency Situations: Misconceptions, Patient Care, and Removal Techniques

Abstract

“If you think your patients aren't pierced, that's because you aren't looking!” These words of wisdom are shared by medical personnel who have special insight into the population of people with piercings. A recent study of undergraduate college students indicated that 51% of the students had something pierced besides their ears, while a 1999 study found that only 6 of 28 emergency physicians were able to accurately describe the proper removal process for the 3 most common types of body jewelry. 1. Mayers L Judelson D Moriarty B Rundell K Prevalence of body art (body piercing & tattooing) in university undergraduates & incidence of medical complications. Mayo Clin Proc. 2002; 77: 29-34 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (206) Google Scholar , 2. Khanna R Kumar S Raju B Kumar A Body piercing in the accident & emergency department. J Accid Emerg Med. 1999; 16: 418-421 Crossref PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar These 2 factors suggest the potential for problems in our emergency departments. Scott DeBoer is a Flight Nurse, University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Ill, Founder of Peds-R-Us Medical Education & Med-Pierce, Dyer, Ind, and Medical Consultant for the Association of Professional Piercers. Troy Amundson is a Professional Body Piercer, Apocalypse Piercing, Seattle, Wash, and Consultant for Med-Pierce, Dyer, Ind. Elayne Angel is a Professional Body Piercer and Owner of Rings of Desire, New Orleans, La.