What causes scalp laceration?
Scalp lacerations are often present in patients requiring emergency care for blunt trauma. These injuries are most commonly seen in unrestrained drivers or occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes in which the victim is partially or totally ejected.
What is a laceration?
A laceration or cut refers to a skin wound. Unlike an abrasion, none of the skin is missing. A cut is typically thought of as a wound caused by a sharp object, like a shard of glass. Lacerations tend to be caused by blunt trauma.
How do you treat a lacerated scalp?
Clean the wound with mild soap and water. Rinse for several minutes under running water. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. Cover the wound with gauze or a bandage.
Why is it so important to avoid infection of lacerations to the scalp?
Scalp lacerations are traumatic injuries. It is essential to instruct patients to stay away or at least be careful when performing high-risk activities, especially given that injuries to the head and face can be severe with long-lasting morbidity.
What is an example of laceration?
Quite simply, a laceration is a tear in the soft tissue somewhere on the body. For example, you’re walking along and unexpectedly scrape up against a nail sticking out of the wall, tearing open a small gash on your arm. This is a type of laceration (ouch!).
Which of the following describes laceration?
A laceration is a wound that is produced by the tearing of soft body tissue. This type of wound is often irregular and jagged. A laceration wound is often contaminated with bacteria and debris from whatever object caused the cut.
How long does it take for a scalp laceration to heal?
This is usually in 7 to 14 days. How long you’ll be told to wait depends on where the cut is located, how big and how deep the cut is, and what your general health is like. Your scalp may itch as it heals.
How long does it take to bleed to death from a head wound?
An adult can die in less than five minutes from a bleeding wound in a critical area. Some areas, such as the neck or groin, can be very hard to control, even by expert medics. Other smaller wounds may stop on their own without much help.
Why do wounds of scalp bleed profusely and heal rapidly?
Wounds in the scalp bleed profusely, because the fibrous fascia prevents vasoconstriction. However, wounds superficial to the aponeurosis gap much less than do wounds that cut through it, because aponeurosis holds the skin tight.
What are complications of lacerations?
If you have a laceration repair, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
- Infection.
- Bleeding.
- Noticeable scarring.
- Poor wound closure.
- Allergic reaction to anesthetic.
What are the 2 types of laceration?
Abrasions (grazes), superficial wounds in which the topmost layer of the skin (the epidermis) is scraped off. Abrasions are often caused by a sliding fall onto a rough surface. Puncture wounds, caused by an object puncturing the skin, such as a nail or needle.