Removal of an Embedded Fishhook: How to Care for Your Child

Embedded fishhooks usually don't cause any lasting problems when removed right away.

When a child gets a fishhook embedded in the skin or muscle, it is important to remove it as quickly as possible to prevent infection. Sometimes, fishhooks can be removed by parents, but this is not always possible because the barbs on fishhooks can make them difficult to pull out.

Prior to removing the fishhook, the health care provider usually cleans the area with water or special soap. Your child might have received a numbing medicine in the skin around the fishhook to ease pain. Special tools may have been needed to help the health care provider remove the fishhook.

After the fishhook was removed, the wound was washed thoroughly with water to clean out bacteria and dirt, and a bandage was placed on the wound. To help prevent infection, your health care provider may have prescribed an antibiotic, either as an ointment or a medicine to be given by mouth. If needed, your child received a tetanus shot. Proper care at home will help prevent infection.

• Follow your health care provider's instructions for bandaging and cleaning the wound each day.

• Give your child all doses of any prescribed medicines.

• If you were given an antibiotic ointment, apply it as instructed.

• Soak the wound in warm water 2–3 times a day until it starts to heal.

• Check the wound daily for signs of infection (redness, swelling, pain, or drainage).

• You may give acetaminophen OR ibuprofen for pain, if recommended by your health care provider.

• A follow-up appointment 2–3 days after discharge is often recommended to check that the wound is healing well. Be sure to keep all follow-up appointments.

Your child:

• Has continued pain.

• Develops signs of infection around the wound.

• Has bleeding from the wound.

• Develops a fever.

• Store fishing hooks in childproof containers out of reach of young kids.

• Teach older kids who fish how to avoid fishhook injuries:

  • Be careful when removing a fish from a hook.

  • Don't walk barefoot while fishing.

  • When casting your line be careful not to hook yourself or others around you.