Surgical treatment of extravasation injuries: experience of the Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo.

ABSTRACT Objective: to report the experience of the Division of Plastic Surgery of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Medical School of the University of São Paulo in the treatment of cutaneous lesions due to accidental extravasation of drugs. Methods: we included patients with lesions due to extravasation of drugs over a period of 18 months. We retrospectively evaluated the following parameters: age, diagnoses during hospitalization and comorbidities, serum levels of albumin and hemoglobin, place of hospitalization, drug involved, anatomic segment affected, therapeutic management and death during hospitalization. Results: we followed-up 14 patients. The main drug involved was noradrenaline (21%). All patients underwent debridement of tissue necrosis. Three patients were submitted to flaps after preparation of the wound bed with negative pressure therapy, with good results. Seven patients had no definitive treatment of their lesions due to lack of clinical conditions. Conclusion: in patients with favorable clinical conditions, the definitive treatment with flaps was adequate for cases of wounds due to extravasation of drugs in the subcutaneous tissue when there was exposure of noble structures.