The pneumatic colorectal injury caused by high pressure compressed air are rare and can be fatal. Herein, we present a case of 45-year-old male who developed sudden onset of severe abdominal pain after cleaning the dust on his pants with high pressure compressed air gun dust cleaner. Emergent exploratory laparotomy was done which findings are a huge rectal perforation with multiple serosal and subserosal tear in sigmoid to splenic flexure of colon. Anterior resection with left hemicolectomy, and temporary transverse colostomy was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful. Recently, prognosis is generally favorable because of prompt diagnosis and emergent surgical management.
Abdominal Pain ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Colostomy ; Compressed Air ; Diagnosis ; Dust ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Rectum ; Tears

No abstract available.
Compressed Air* ; Explosions* ; Orbit* ; Orbital Cellulitis*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of remineralization over time after application of fluoride varnish with and without tricalcium phosphate (TCP). METHODS: This in vitro study used extracted bovine lateral incisors without dental caries. Artificial lesions were created in the enamel specimens. The amount of mineral loss (ΔF(before)) was measured using quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF). Test fluoride varnishes (10 mg) were applied to the enamel surface of the specimen and dried for 4 min. No fluoride varnish was applied to the specimens in the control group. Each group was randomly assigned 12 specimens, and remineralization was allowed to occur to different time points (0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h) in each group. Specimens were washed with distilled water and dried with compressed air for 3 s. ΔF(after) was determined using QLF. RESULTS: When fluoride varnish containing TCP was applied for up to 6 h, the amount of mineral loss significantly increased, and when non-TCP fluoride varnish was applied for up to 12 hours, the amount of mineral loss significantly increased (P<0.05). However, the amount of mineral loss was higher in the control group. The difference between ΔF(before) and ΔF(after) (ΔΔF) increased over time. There was a significant difference between the TCP group and the control group after 6 h. The non-TCP group showed a significant difference after 24 h compared to the control group. After 12 h, significant differences were observed in the TCP group compared to both the non-TCP and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the degree of remineralization increased gradually over time after fluoride varnish application compared to the control group. In particular, fluoride varnish containing TCP showed better remineralization capability than varnish without TCP.
Compressed Air ; Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Fluorescence ; Fluorides* ; Fluorides, Topical ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incisor ; Miners ; Paint* ; Water

Compressed air can cause serious damage to internal organs. The stomach is an organ that is rarely perforated due to its elasticity. However, intestines are weaker and thinner compared to the stomach. A 40-year-old male came to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain due to dyspnea. The patient experienced abdominal pain right after his coworker shot compressed air into the patient's pants. The patient suffered from a rigid abdomen, and bed-side ultrasonography was carried out as soon as possible. Pneumoperitoneum was diagnosed by portable X-ray. After computed tomography, emergency paracentesis was carried out for decompression. After emergency paracentesis, the patient's symptoms and vital signs were stabilized. After the procedure, the patient had an emergency laparotomy.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Compressed Air* ; Decompression ; Dyspnea ; Elasticity ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; Intestines ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Paracentesis ; Pneumoperitoneum* ; Stomach ; Ultrasonography ; Vital Signs

At a brewery, the base plate-to-shell weld seam of a 90-m3 vertical cylindrical steel tank failed catastrophically. The 4 ton tank "took off" like a rocket leaving its contents behind, and landed on a van, crushing it. The top of the tank reached a height of 30 m. The internal overpressure responsible for the failure was an estimated 60 kPa. A rupture disc rated at < 50 kPa provided overpressure protection and thus prevented the tank from being covered by the European Pressure Equipment Directive. This safeguard failed and it was later discovered that the rupture disc had been installed upside down. The organizational root cause of this incident may be a fundamental lack of appreciation of the hazards of large volumes of low-pressure compressed air or gas. A contributing factor may be that the standard piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) symbol for a rupture disc may confuse and lead to incorrect installation. Compressed air systems are ubiquitous. The medium is not toxic or flammable. Such systems however, when operated at "slight overpressure" can store a great deal of energy and thus constitute a hazard that ought to be addressed by safety managers.
Compressed Air ; Rupture* ; Steel*

The use of high-pressure air instruments has become more common. Consequently, there have been a number of cases of orbital emphysema caused by contact with high-pressure air. In this case, a 62-year-old male patient visited an emergency medical center after his left eye was shot by an air compressor gun that was used to wash cars. Lacerations were observed in the upper and lower eyelids of his left eye. Radiological examinations revealed orbital emphysema, optic nerve transection, pneumocephalus, and subcutaneous emphysema in the face, neck, shoulder, and mediastinum. Canalicular injury repair was performed, and the emphysema resolved. However, there was near-complete vision loss in the patient's left eye. Because most optic nerve transections occur after a severe disruption in bone structure, pure optic nerve transections without any injury of the bone structure, as in the present case, is extremely rare.
Compressed Air ; Emergencies ; Emphysema ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Optic Nerve Injuries* ; Optic Nerve* ; Orbit ; Pneumocephalus ; Shoulder ; Subcutaneous Emphysema

Colon barotrauma can be mostly caused by elevated intraluminal pressure. Air insufflation during colonoscopy procedure is the most common cause of iatrogenic colon barotrauma. Cat scratch colon can usually be seen in the mild type of colon barotrauma, and colon perforation can be seen in the severe type. We presently report a case of non-iatrogenic colon barotrauma caused by industrial compressed air. Multiple linear mucosal ulcers were noted in the recto-sigmoid colon, but the colon was not perforated. The patient was discharged without any further complications after conservative treatments.
Animals ; Barotrauma ; Cats ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Compressed Air ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: The authors experienced a case of orbital emphysema causing eye movement disorder following conjunctival tear without any orbital wall fractures after exposure to compressed air. CASE SUMMARY: A 28-year-old man's left periorbital area was injured while working with compressed air. There was marked lid swelling on the left side with palpable crepitus. The patient had an exotropia and hypertropia of the left eye. In addition, the extraocular movement of the left eye was restricted on upgaze without nausea and vomiting. On slit-lamp examination, conjunctival partial laceration and subconjunctival air bubbles adjacent to the conjunctival laceration could be seen. Orbital computed tomography showed air in the periorbital and retrobulbar region of the left eye and no evidence of orbital fracture. On examination 4 days after the primary repair of the conjunctival laceration, the patient completely recovered without any complication. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital emphysema following a conjunctival laceration caused by compressed air without any orbital wall fractures can cause restriction of eye movement.
Adult ; Compressed Air* ; Emphysema* ; Exotropia ; Eye Movements* ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Nausea ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Orbit* ; Orbital Fractures* ; Strabismus ; Vomiting

Diving is a perilous activity. Long exposure to the subaquatic environment results in many troubles to divers. In Korea, the number of divers, especially recreational ones, is soaring up and the incidence of diving related accidents and illnesses is also increasing rapidly. Consequently, diving medicine which approaches underwater medical problems is getting more important to doctors as well as divers. Decompression sickness (DCS) is one of the most typical diseases in diving medicine, and divers who breathe compressed air or mixed gas always have a risk of suffering from it. DCS is caused by bubbles from dissolved inert gas as a result of decompression. The diagnosis of DCS is based completely on clinical manifestations, but it is not easy to make a correct diagnosis due to various symptoms. In general, DCS needs prompt recompression chamber treatment with trained medical and paramedical staff, but few doctors are trained to handle diving related diseases like DCS and most people in Korea are not aware of diving medicine. Additionally, lack of recompression facilities hinders DCS patients from taking treatment timely. To deal with these problems, Korean government as well as doctors needs to show deep concern at this field.
Compressed Air ; Decompression ; Decompression Sickness ; Diving ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Incidence ; Korea ; Stress, Psychological

Powered by compressed air, a nail gun is an essential alternative tool to a hammer on any construction site. This useful machine launches nails at high speed, automatically embedding them in a piece of wood in only a fraction of a second. In spite of its convenience, life-threatening and fatal nail gun injuries can occur when a nail gun is misused, such as in a suicide attempt, or when the operator has insufficient training because combustion nail guns are capable of firing projectiles at velocities higher than 150 m per second. Although injuries by nail guns are rarely reported, there have been reports of nail gun injuries to the head and the trachea in Korea. In the emergency room, the authors experienced a patient injured by an accidental shooting of a nail gun while working in construction. In that accident, a nail penetrated the patient's cervical vertebra through the left cheek. This report is aimed at studying medical treatment for patients with penetrating injuries caused by nail guns.
Cheek ; Compressed Air ; Emergencies ; Firearms ; Fires ; Head ; Humans ; Korea ; Nails ; Neck ; Neck Injuries ; Spine ; Suicide ; Trachea ; Wood