Hand (New York, N.Y.)
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Hand (New York, N.Y.) · Sep 2017
Ischemic Hand Complications From Intra-Arterial Injection of Sublingual Buprenorphine/Naloxone Among Patients With Opioid Dependency.
Sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone, a common treatment for opioid dependence, is frequently abused by intravenous injection. Inadvertent intra-arterial injection of buprenorphine/naloxone can produce acute ischemic insult to the hand due to gelatin embolism. Our purpose was to review a series of these patients in order to describe the clinical entity, review the outcomes, and propose a rational treatment algorithm. ⋯ With the increasing use of sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone in opioid dependency, ischemic hand injuries will be seen with greater frequency. Whereas outcomes did not vary with treatment modality in this series, further study is needed to determine the most effective treatment of these injuries.