Inadvertent intraspinal placement of a Foley catheter in severe craniofacial injury with associated atlanto-occipital dislocation: case report.

A case of fatal, inadvertent, intraspinal placement of a Foley urinary catheter is presented. The patient suffered a severe craniofacial injury with life-threatening epistaxis requiring emergent tamponade with two Foley catheters plus gauze packing. There was an associated atlanto-occipital dislocation. The mechanism of production is discussed, and guidelines to avoid this complication are outlined.