Fishhook Injuries

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Topic Overview

Even if you fish carefully, you may get a fishhook in your skin. Fishhook injuries often occur when you remove a slippery, flopping fish from your line. Injury may also occur when you are casting a line, from another person casting a line, or if you walk barefoot near fishing gear. The chance of a fishhook injury increases if you are not familiar with fishing gear.

Most fishhook injuries puncture the skin of the face, scalp, fingers, back, or ears. Home treatment can help you remove a fishhook that is not too deep. It is important to clean the puncture wound to help prevent infection.

A fishhook can cause other problems if it enters the eye, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones. A fishhook injury is more serious when:

• A fishhook is in or near an eye.
• A barb cannot be removed using home treatment.
• Bleeding is severe or cannot be stopped.
• The wound is big enough to need stitches.
• Blood vessels, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, or bones are injured.
• Signs of infection develop, such as redness, swelling, or pus. A puncture from a fishhook is often dirty from marine bacteria, which increases the chance of a skin infection.
• Your tetanus immunization is not current.

Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to determine if and when you need to see a health professional.

Last updated:	July 06, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer