Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
The purpose of repairing a wound is to provide good cosmetic results. All
wounds will eventually heal by themselves; however, bringing the edges together
and without tension will allow a better result. All lacerations will leave a
scar, and a good wound closure will minimize the visibility of that scar.
Since there are many layers of skin, there may need to be layers of sutures
placed to bring the edges together if the wound is deep. As well, if the wound
is deep and only the skin is closed, empty spaces may be formed beneath the
outer skin layer. Fluid may accumulate in empty spaces, becoming a risk for
infection.
For skin sutures, the hope is to cause minimal inflammation so that the scar
will form nicely. If deep sutures are placed, the suture material used gradually
disintegrates or dissolves as part of the inflammatory response of the body.
The strength of the suture depends upon the thickness of the suture material.
Some suture materials used to repair nerves may be so thin that the surgeon
needs a microscope to sew. Some suture material is as thick as string. The
thinner the suture, the less tension it can tolerate and the more stitches need
to be used to keep the wound from breaking open as it heals.
Different types of needles are used as well, depending upon the situation.
The two major kinds are cutting and non-cutting. The cutting needles have a
diamond-shaped tip and are designed to "cut" through skin. The non-cutting
needle tips are circular and are meant to be used on deep tissues that do not
have the resistance of skin. There are different shapes of the needle curve as
well to help guide the needle and the attached suture on its path.
Almost all suture material is preloaded on a needle and does not need to be
hand-threaded. The care provider will specify the type of suture, the thickness,
and the type of needle when planning to repair a laceration.
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. Potential causes include injections around the bone, fractures that puncture the skin, recent surgeries, and bacterial infections that travel from other areas of the body, spreading through the blood to the bone. Symptoms include pain, fever, chills, stiffness, and nausea. Treatment involves antibiotics and pain medications. Surgery is sometimes necessary.
There are millions of dogs living in the United States, and thus many cases of dog bites. Annually, hundreds of people seek emergency medical care for dog bites. Treatment for a dog bite depends on how deep the injury is and the amount of tissue damage. Dog bites can be prevented by employing preventative measures.
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that people get in their late teens or early twenties. Impacted wisdom teeth that only partially erupt allows for an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness. Before your wisdom teeth are pulled, the teeth and the surrounding tissue will be numbed with a local anesthetic. Recovery from wisdom tooth removal depends upon the difficulty of the extraction.
Scar formation is a natural part of the healing process after injury. The depth and size of the wound incision and the location of the injury impact the scar's characteristics, but your age, heredity and even sex or ethnicity will affect how your skin reacts.
The hand has several bones to include the wrist, palm, and fingers. Fingers are the most commonly injured part of the hand. The most common causes of broken fingers are a traumatic injury to the finger or fingers such as playing sports, injury in the workplace, falls, and accidents. Treatment for a broken finger may be as simple as buddy taping the broken finger to the adjacent finger, or if the fracture is more serious, surgery.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
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