Treatment of the Patient with Friction Wounds - Essay Example

"Treatment of the Patient with Friction Wounds" is a wonderful example of a paper on injuries and wounds. The diagnosis of the patient upon admission was the following: deep friction burns to the right arm, right leg, and right posterior shoulder—with a broken arm, deep dermal depth, and friction burns to the abdomen. According to Bergstrom, Allman, and Alvarez (2004), “Moist, devitalized tissue supports the growth of pathological organisms. Therefore, the removal of such tissue favorably alters the healing environment of a wound…debridement [being] a time-honored modality [of healing]…”  (pp. 47). The patient also exhibited signs of a possible concussion. According to Komaroff (2004), “A concussion is a momentary loss of consciousness and brain function that occurs after a blow to the head…” (pp. 359).

1. Pre-Existing Conditions

            As far as the ER staff was concerned, this gentleman had no prior medical history or health issues.

1. Condition on Admission: Observations, General Condition, Mental Status, etc.

            Most likely, it was found that the patient would need a debridement, as well as some skin grafts (typically taken from the own patient’s skin).  According to Jarrell and Carabasi (2007), “In some instances, foreign material may be ground into the tissue (eg, gravel in a motorcycle accident victim), [and thusly] bacterial counts will be higher and sufficient to cause a wound infection” (pp. 18).  Additionally, the young man’s overall condition was from moderate to severe in nature.  His mental status was probably in jeopardy due to him being a bit delusional with pain.

1. General Overview of Discussed Condition (e.g., Common Signs & Symptoms, Complications, Disease Processes)

            Complications that could arise include infections due to the patient’s skin having been exposed at deep dermal depths to the open, dirty road.

1. Overview
2. Brief Relevant History of the client (e.g., Previous Medical History, Social Situation, Employment, Home Situation)

            The patient had no previous medical history.  He is a young 27-year-old male in a stable social situation, is employed, and lives by himself.

1. Reason for Admission and Presenting Condition

            The patient was admitted to the hospital to treat burns and friction wounds.

1. Evidence of Discharge Planning

            The patient will have to be discharged after the risk of infection has passed.

1. Medical Diagnosis Findings, Investigations, and Treatment

            The main treatment for this patient will be to get medication for his friction burns and have a debridement to rid his skin of any foreign objects.

1. Nursing Assessment of Client

            An assessment of the client was made indicating that he has to have round-the-clock care for dressing and re-dressing his wounds so that they heal properly.

1. Referral and Treatments by Other Health Professionals

            The patient was referred to the burn unit to get an expert assessment by the professionals in that particular unit of the hospital.

1. Nursing Interventions and Expected Outcomes

            Nursing interventions were provided for the patient to be adequately assessed as good as possible before reaching the burn unit.  Expected outcomes for a full recovery were positive.

1. Discussion (Including Opinions, Preventative Measures, Ethical Considerations, and Strategies to Improve Outcome)

            Having worn proper clothing could have reduced significantly the patient’s injuries.

1. Evaluation of Nursing Care

            The nursing care provided to the patient was sufficient, and he was transferred to the burn unit promptly and in due time.

III.  Conclusion

1. Summary of the Case Study

This patient was admitted to the hospital due to burns he suffered after having

fallen off a motorcycle.  He will require various treatments to recover.

1. Reflective and Constructive Discussion of the Care Outcome

A reflective and constructive discussion of the care outcome reveals that this

the patient was treated with the utmost care.

1. Main Values or Benefits of This Case Study

The main benefits were to learn that, when motorcycling, it’s important to a) wear a helmet; and b) wear proper protective clothing.

Learning Outcome from the Case Study Presentation

            Learning how to treat burn victims was a key outcome.

Read More