That brief tug was transformed into a surgical billing code: Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 10120, “incision and removal of a foreign body, subcutaneous” — at a cost of $414.

Anyone who has spent time trying to remove a splinter knows how tricky it can be to do it right. No need to panic, because Dr. Avir Mitra, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and ...

But here is another trick that might be of better use. If part of the splinter, however small, is protruding from the skin, try using some tape before you go to work with the tweezers and needle.

Others have used duct tape over the splinter, again for hours. When removing the tape, the splinter may come out, too. In addition, the tape may soften the skin to make the wood easier to grab.