TY - JOUR AU - Gatela, JL Jane PY - 2021/05/30 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Self-Inflicted Craniofacial Impalement Injury with a Screwdriver During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Report JF - Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery JA - Philipp J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg VL - 36 IS - 1 SE - Case Reports DO - 10.32412/pjohns.v36i1.1653 UR - https://pjohns.pso-hns.org/index.php/pjohns/article/view/1653 SP - 41 AB - <p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong>Objective:</strong> To present a case of a 37-year-old man presenting with craniofacial impalement injury from a screwdriver that happened during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong></p><p><strong>Design:</strong> Case Report</p><p><strong>Setting:</strong> Tertiary Government Training Hospital</p><p><strong>Patient:</strong> One</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> During the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic a 37-year-old man was brought to the emergency room with a screwdriver embedded in his right eye. A multidisciplinary team observing available recommendations (level IV PPE, carefully planned operative directives) successfully performed endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery with application of a nasoseptal Hadad flap and abdominal fat obliteration. Aside from medial gaze limitations of the right eye, there was no CSF leak or rhinorrhea and no neurologic sequelae on follow up.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Endoscopic skull base surgery for such an impalement injury as this is a formidable multidisciplinary challenge, even in normal times. The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic presented additional challenges. Observing evolving guidelines minimized the high risk of exposure for health care workers while maximizing care for the patient.</p> ER -