Abdomen pendulum and subcutaneous injections: the complications. Two case reports

The authors present the complications due to subcutaneous injections on two patients suffering from morbid obesity with an abdomen pendulum. In the first case, injections of heparin of low molecular weight at curative dose, for treatment of a pulmonary embolism, have been complicated with a giant abdominal wait haematoma, the biggest ever reported. The initial treatment was insufficient so we had to practice a dermolipectomy to take off the haematoma of four litters. In the second case, insulin injections were complicated with cellulitis of the abdominal wall and a surgical treatment has been practiced in emergency. The first case reminds us the importance to change the sites of injections and to accommodate the dose, surgical treatment staying as simple as possible. The second case allows us to report a rare complication, not often published but known with obese patients. These two cases illustrate the importance of therapeutic education of the patient and the fact that a simple injection can be life threatening. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.