Question

Frankie, an active 7 year-old, was playing with a couple of friends at the neighborhood playground early one morning. Unfortunately they didn’t know that two local gangs had fought at that spot the previous night and left behind a broken beer bottle. While playing a game of tag, Frankie slipped on wet grass and fell in the area of the broken bottle, sustaining injuries on his right side. His knee hit some of the broken glass with the fall causing a laceration about 2 inches wide and deep enough so that there was damage to the dermis, subcutaneous layer and blood vessels as well as the epidermis. As he fell, he extended his arms to cushion the fall, resulting in an abrasion on his right palm. His head also hit the ground with enough force to produce a contusion on his right temple. His friend Richie ran to Frankie’s house and returned soon with Frankie’s Mom, who took him to the emergency room.

Please respond to each of the following in your reply:

1. Frankie’s injures would be classified as “unintentional” and fortunately they were not fatal. But injuries (intentional and unintentional) account for significant mortality in the US each year and with regard to age distribution, these mortalities show a “bimodal distribution”. Which two age groups show peaks for injury-related deaths? Why do you think these two groups have higher rates?
2. At the emergency room, a PA. closely examined Frankie’s knee, treated it with a topical antibiotic and sutured the wound shut with 4 stitches. What does topical mean? What was the purpose for the topical antibiotic and suturing? Distinguish between healing by primary intention and healing by secondary intention.
3. Over the next week or so, Frankie noticed that his right knee was somewhat swollen, pinker and warmer than the other knee and very sensitive to the touch. Is this normal? What process was taking place in his knee?
4. The bruise on his right temple changed color over the next two weeks. What is the reason for this?

Answer 1

<1 year & > 65 years age group show peaks for injury related deaths. In <1year unintentional suffocation is the most common cause because of inability to overcome the resistance due to poor body capacity. And in >65 years unintentional fall is most common cause due to weakening of body bones and muscles and also reduction in body capacity

Topical means applied directly to a part of the body. Topical antibiotics (applied to the skin) for preventing surgical site infection in wounds that are stitched or held together another way. The presence of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, at wound sites following surgery can result in surgical site infections for patients.

No, this is not normal.Inflammatory process was taking place in his knee. Signs of inflammation are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function.

The reason for this is that healthy granulation tissuetissue is pink in colour and is an indicator ofhealing. Unhealthy granulation is dark red in colour, often bleeds on contact, and may indicate the presence ofwound infection. Such wounds should be cultured and treated in the light of microbiological results.