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 optimal time for suture removal depends upon both the location of the
laceration and how much stress is placed on the laceration. For example, a knee
laceration will require the suture to remain in place longer than on the thigh,
since the skin will be stressed each time the knee flexes and extends with
walking, sitting, and standing.
Sutures form a loop that surrounds the laceration and when pulled tight cause
the wound to close. The body can start to form a scar around the suture itself,
and it is important to remember this when deciding the appropriate time to
remove the sutures. This scarring tends to occur within seven to eight days and can have
an appearance resembling crosshatching or railroad tracks.
Sutures on the face are usually removed within five days since there is such
good blood supply in this region and healing occurs more quickly. The goal is to
minimize scarring; therefore, the risk of the sutures causing a scar in their
own right is balanced against the strength and potential weakness of the healing
laceration. Elsewhere on the body, sutures may be left in for seven to 10 days. In some
circumstances, in which scarring is not an issue or if there is concern that
wound is under mechanical stress (like a laceration over a joint), the sutures
may be left in longer.
What happens to the site after suture removal?
While the sutures may be removed, the scar continues to mature over time. For
the first three months, there will be a raised, red healing ridge at the
laceration site. Over the next two to three months, the ridge will flatten and
then will start to weather and lighten. It may take six to eight months or longer before
the final result of the laceration repair can be appreciated.
Are there any special considerations regarding wound repair?
Animal bites are especially prone to infection, and the decision to repair a
bite with sutures must balance the risk of infection with the benefit of a
better-looking scar. Approximately 50% of dog bites, 80% of cat bites, and 100% of
human bites will become infected.
Wounds or lacerations must be explored and thoroughly cleaned prior to
closure.
Suture materials vary in their composition and thickness, and the choice
of the appropriate material depends upon the nature and location of the wound.
Staples, Steri-Strips, Band-Aids, and skin glue can be alternatives to suture
material for skin closure.
Dissolvable suture material may be used for repair
of deep tissues.
Most sutures are left in place for seven to 10 days.
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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