Abstract
Background
Entrapped rings can be dangerous, leading to increased pressure and damage to soft
tissue, nerves, and vasculature. In order to properly care for these injuries, it
is important for emergency medicine clinicians to be aware of the different approaches
to remove entrapped rings.
Methods
We searched PubMed to determine the different techniques and supporting literature
for ring removal.
Discussion
There are a number of approaches that can be used to remove an entrapped ring. Clinicians
should first consider the role of lubricants to reduce surface tension. Specific removal
techniques include compression-based methods, traction-based techniques, rotation-based
approaches, and the use of ring-cutting devices. There are unique advantages and limitations
of each technique that are important to consider.
Conclusions
Emergency medicine clinicians need to be familiar with several different approaches
to ring removal. This article summarizes the key techniques, variations on these techniques,
advantages, and disadvantages for each approach.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 29, 2022
Accepted:
April 23,
2022
Received in revised form:
February 19,
2022
Received:
December 8,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.