Archive for the ‘Traumatic Wounds’ Category

Avulsion Wounds: Descriptions and Treatments

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

Trauma can cause a wide variety of wounds with different degrees of severity. One common wound category that healthcare providers and wound care specialists encounter are avulsion wounds.

To learn more about avulsion wounds, we spoke with Preston “Chip” Rich, MD, MBA and Medical Director of Trauma Services at MemorialCare’s Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach, California.

As an attending staff member at his facility, he specializes in trauma surgery, treating victims of trauma and those requiring intensive critical care from their injuries. Rich and his colleagues see a spectrum of injuries, including complicated avulsion injuries.

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Treating Pediatric Burns Takes Skills and Sensitivity

Saturday, December 11th, 2021

Knowledgeable wound care clinicians are needed not only for adults but for the pediatric population too. Burns are common injuries incurred by children. We spoke with two experts to learn more about this important area of wound care for pediatric burns.

Stats on Pediatric Burns

“Burns are a leading cause of death and disability for children worldwide,” said Tina Palmieri MD, FACS, FCCM, Assistant Chief of Burns at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California and Burn Division Chief at the University of California, Davis.

In the U.S., the stats are staggering. “Nearly each week in 2018 in the U.S. alone, approximately six children aged 0-19 died, 139 were hospitalized, and 1,762 were taken to the emergency room due to fire and burn injuries,” said Palmieri.

According to the American Burn Association Fact Sheet, 24% of all burn injuries occur in children under the age of 15, said Jenna Leach MSN, RN, WCC, plastic surgery specialty nurse at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware.

Palmieri pointed out risk factors for pediatric fire and burn deaths are: (more…)

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Unpacking the Fundamentals of Burn Wounds

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

As a wound care clinician, you may be called to work in a burn unit or be consulted on burn wounds. If that is not your normal work setting, it can be overwhelming.

Our purpose in this article is to address the fundamentals and provide a solid working knowledge of how to manage burn wounds.

Let’s start with terminology. The American Burn Association changed the classification of burns from the traditional first-, second-, third-, and fourth-degree burns to the following:

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Traumatic Open Wounds: Let’s Define the Types

Wednesday, December 25th, 2019

Learn the difference between the types of open wounds caused by trauma.

Open wound types include abrasions, excoriation, skin tears, avulsions, lacerations and punctures, according to our Skin and Wound Management course workbook.

Traumatic open wounds involve a disruption in the integrity of the skin and underlying tissues caused by mechanical forces. In other words, these wounds are caused by brief but forceful contact with another object or surface.

Differentiating the types of traumatic open wounds involves noting the shape and depth, as well as the nature of the mechanical force that caused it.

Below, we outline six acute, traumatic open wounds that are commonly confused.

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