Fishhook removal

Alternative names:

skin - fishhook removal

First aid:

If the barb of the hook has not entered the skin, pull the tip of the hook out in the opposite direction it went in. Otherwise, use one of the following methods for removal:

Wire cutting method:

1. First, wash your hands with soap. Then wash the area surrounding the embedded fishhook. After the skin is clean, apply gentle pressure along the curve of the fishhook while pulling on the hook.
   
   
2. If the tip of the hook lies near the surface of the skin, push the hook through the skin, cut it off just behind the barb with wire cutters, and remove it by pulling it back through the way it entered.
   
   
3. If the hook is not easy to remove, the barb of the hook is probably caught in the tissue. If the hook has a barbed shank, remove the hook by pushing it through the skin. However, only do this if it will take more than eight hours to reach professional medical assistance. (It's necessary to remove the hook within eight hours to help prevent the risk of infection.) Using pliers, grasp the shank of the hook and push the hook through the skin so that the barb is visible. Cut the hook off, and pull the rest of the fishhook out.
   
   
4. Wash the wound and leave it open with a simple dry dressing.
   
   
5. If a fishhook is lodged anywhere near the eye or an artery, do not attempt to remove it. Use medical tape to secure the hook in place and take the victim to the nearest medical professional.
   
   

Fish line method:

1. First, wash your hands with soap.
   
   
2. Put a loop of fish line through the bend of the fishhook so that a quick jerk can be applied and the hook can be pulled out directly in line with the shaft of the hook.
   
   
3. Holding onto the shaft, push the hook slightly in and away from the barb so as to disengage the barb.
   
   
4. Holding this pressure constant to keep the barb disengaged, give a quick jerk on the fish line and the hook will pop out.
   
   
5. Wash the wound with mild soap and running water and apply a sterile dressing.

Do not:

• DO NOT attempt to remove fishhooks that are lodged in the eye or near an artery.



• DO NOT close the fishhook punctures with tape and apply antibiotic ointment, because sealing off the wound can increase the chance of infection.

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

• The fishhook is in the eye or located near an artery.

Update Date: 10/08/99

Updated by: adam.com editorial