Wounds

Human bite

• Examine the body of the patient in the position where the bite occurred to assess damage to tissue, tendons, or muscles.

• Evaluate tetanus shot status

• treatment

  • If it’s infected

    • Splint, refer to ER and give ABX

  • If it is not infected

    • Irrigate and explore

    • avoid closing

    • ABX

Dog bite

• Check tetanus and rabies shot status

• Category of dog bites

  • Category 1 - skin unbroken

    • If the dog's history is clear, do not give post-exposure prophylaxis

    • If it is not clear wound was treated, a vaccine was administered, and if the dog is positive for rabies, continue treatment; if it is not, stop

  • Catagory 2

    • Small scrapes, no bleeding

  • Category 3 breakage of skin

  • Treatment can be Augmentin or doxycycline, as well as metronidazole or clomipramine as well

Cat bites

• Irrigate by secondary intention

• Bleeding control

• ABX - empiric ABX therapy to cover common pathogens

  • Amoxicillin-clavulanate aka augmenting

• Tetanus prophylaxis

• Pasteurella, Staph, and Streptococcus are all common with cat bites

First-degree burn (superficial)

• only affecting the epidermis

• First thing to do is cool the area with cool running water for 10 to 15 minutes

• give acetaminophen, or ibuprofen

• Apply topical lidocaine to aloe vera

• Cover with a clean, dry dressing

Second degree burn (Partial Thickness)

• Both the epidermis and the dermis are affected

• Immediately cool the burned area with cool water for 10-15 minutes

• administer ibuprofen or acetaminophen

• debridement

• apply a topical antimicrobial like silver sulfadiazine

• fluid resuscitation

Third-degree burn (full-thickness)

• Affects all layers of skin

• Refer to the burn center or ER

Suturing Procedure

• Indication and assessment

• Learn the technique

• Administer local anesthesia

• Provide wound care and follow-up instructions

• Obtain informed consent and document the procedure appropriately