
Stitches or sutures are used to close skin wounds. After the wound is examined and cleaned, the health care provider assesses the wound to decide how to repair the wound. Dissolvable stitches may be used if deep sutures are necessary. Nylon and polypropylene are the main choices of suture material. The length of time stitches must remain in place depends upon the location of the wound and how much stress is placed on the wound. Read more: Stitches Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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First Aid: Wound Care for Cuts and Scrapes
Wound care treatment at home involves performing cuts and scrapes first aid including cleaning the injury and applying antibiotic...
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Trauma and First Aid Quiz: Training and Supplies
What should be in your first-aid kit? Take this quiz to understand trauma and learn the truth about how to administer first aid.
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Picture of Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet. See a picture of the Skin and learn more...
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First Aid Quiz: Care for Wounds, Scrapes, Cuts, and Burns
Wound care for cuts and scrapes includes treatment to clean and bandage the injury. Should you use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide,...

QUESTION
An average adult has about ________ square feet of skin. See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
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Wisdom Teeth
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 allow 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.
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Broken Finger
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. Fingers are the most commonly injured part of the hand.
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Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is defined as a reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep. The three types of sleep apnea are central apnea, obstructive apnea (OSA), and a mixture of central and obstructive apnea. Central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the brain to activate the muscles of breathing during sleep. OSA is caused by the collapse of the airway during sleep. OSA is diagnosed and evaluated through patient history, physical examination and polysomnography. There are many complications related to obstructive sleep apnea. Treatments are surgical and non-surgical.
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Dog Bite
A dog bites about 4.5 million people each year, and about 27,000 will need surgery. Dog bites often become infected and will need medical treatment and management. Make sure that the dog's rabies vaccination is current; if not, rabies treatment may be necessary. A dog bite may cause symptoms and signs like puncture wounds, lacerations, pain, swelling, and redness. Treatment and management of a dog bite in and infant, child, teen, or adult depends upon the severity of the wound.
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Scars
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.
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Osteomyelitis
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.
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First Aid: Why You Need a First Aid Kit and CPR
First aid is providing medical assistance to someone a sick or injured person. The type of first aid depends on their condition. Preparedness is key to first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Many minor injuries may require first aid, including cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, and nosebleeds. Examples of more critical first aid emergencies include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heatstroke.
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