Emergency treatment of accidental infusion leakage in the newborn: report of 14 cases.

Infusion leakage in the paediatric population of the intensive-care unit is known to cause skin necrosis and significant scarring around tendons, nerves and joints, extending the length of hospital stay. We report a series of 14 newborn children affected by accidental infusion leakage, and their early treatment with Gault's procedure: saline flush-out and liposuction. The results were good: there was no skin impairment in 11 cases and three cases of skin necrosis healed spontaneously. Early treatment of toxic infusion leakage in neonates is recommended to avoid skin necrosis at the site of extravasation. The two procedures proposed by Gault are simple and effective in such cases. They should be employed as early as possible in order to dilute and remove the toxin from the subcutaneous tissue. Copyright 2001 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.