VI. Irrigation with potable tap water rather than sterile saline also does not increase the risk of wound infection. 17. Assess wound healing after removal of each suture to determine if each remaining suture will be removed. These scars can be minimized by applying firm pressure to the wound during the healing process using sterile Steri-Strips or a dry sterile bandage. The goals of laceration repair are to achieve hemostasis and optimal cosmetic results without increasing the risk of infection. These changes may indicate the wound is infected. Alternating removal of staples provides strength to incision line while removing staples and prevents accidental separation of incision line. The procedure is easy to learn, and most physicians . This step prevents the transmission of microorganisms. Staples are faster and more cost-effective than sutures with no difference in complications.40 The hair apposition technique using tissue adhesive has the lowest cost and highest patient satisfaction for scalp repair.41 A video of the hair opposition technique is available at https://lacerationrepair.com/alternative-wound-closure/hair-apposition-technique/. Some of these are illustrated in Figure 4.2. Assess the patient risk of delayed healing and risk of wound dehiscence. Emergency & Essential Surgical Care Programme. endstream endobj 3 0 obj << /N 1 /Domain [ 0 1 ] /FunctionType 2 /C0 [ 0.12 ] /C1 [ 0.28 ] >> endobj 4 0 obj << /FontFile3 136 0 R /CapHeight 680 /Ascent 708 /Flags 262242 /ItalicAngle -13 /Descent -206 /XHeight 482 /FontName /Times-SemiboldItalic /FontBBox [ -167 -218 1025 919 ] /StemH 110 /Type /FontDescriptor /StemV 110 >> endobj 5 0 obj << /Name /ZaDb /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /ZapfDingbats /Type /Font >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 700 >> stream Supervising Physician (if applicable): _ Hemostasis controls bleeding, prevents hematoma formation, and allows for deeper inspection of the wound.3 The next step is to determine whether vessels, tendons, nerves, joints, muscles, or bones are damaged. At the time of suture removal, the wound has only regained about 5%-10% of its strength. Aware of S&S of infection and to observe wound for same and report any concerns to the healthcare provider. This may result in a scar with the appearance of a "railroad track.". 15. Concern for peripheral vascular compromise should be considered a contraindication to the use of an epinephrine-containing anesthetic. Objective: .vitals Gen: nad 13. Ventura County Medical CenterFamily Medicine Residency Program, 300 Hillmont Ave, Building 340, Ventura, CA 93003. These lacerations are repaired with 4-0 or 5-0 nylon sutures. The closed handle depresses the middle of the staple causing the two ends to bend outward and out of the top layer of skin. Explain process to patient and offer analgesia, bathroom, etc. 8. This allows wound to heal by primary intention. Keep adhesive strips on the wound for about 5 days. The health care professional performing the removal must also inspect the wound prior to the procedure to ensure the wound is adequately healed to have the staples removed. Continue cutting in the same manner until the entire suture is removed, inspecting the incision line during the procedure. Local anesthetic with epinephrine in a concentration of 1:200,000 is safe for use on the nose and ears. No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared primary and delayed closure of nonbite traumatic wounds.7 One systematic review and a prospective cohort study of 2,343 patients found that lacerations repaired after 12 hours have no significant increase in infection risk compared with those repaired earlier.1 A case series of 204 patients found no increased risk of infection in wounds repaired at less than 19 hours.8 Noninfected wounds caused by clean objects may undergo primary closure up to 18 hours after injury. The wound is cleaned with an antiseptic to remove encrusted blood and loosened scar tissue. Hand hygiene reduces the risk of infection. PRE-OP DIAGNOSIS: _ An order to remove sutures must be obtained prior to the procedure, and a comprehensive assessment of the wound site must be performed prior to the removal of the sutures by a health care team member. Cut under the knot as close as possible to the skin at the distal end of the knot. This content is owned by the AAFP. Remove remaining staples, followed by applying Steri-Strips along the incision line. Skin cleansed well with chlorhexidine and NS solution cc of 2% Lidocaine injected at the laceration site. date/ time. 3. What is the purpose of applying Steri-Strips to the incision after removing sutures? Complete patient teaching regarding Steri-Strips and bathing, wound inspection for separation of wound edges, and ways to enhance wound healing. AIM To remove sutures using aseptic technique whilst preventing any unnecessary discomfort, trauma or risk of infection to the patient. Any suspicion of injury involving tendon, nerve, muscle, vessels, bone, or the nail bed warrants immediate referral to a hand surgeon. The redness and drainage from the wound is decreasing. Disclaimer:Always review and follow your hospital policy regarding this specific skill. The healthcare provider must assess the wound to determine whether or not to remove the sutures. Complications related to suture removal, including wound dehiscence, may occur if wound is not well healed, if the sutures are removed too early, or if excessive force (pressure) is applied to the wound. When to Call a Doctor After Suture Removal. Devitalized and necrotic tissue in a traumatic wound should be identified and removed to reduce risk of infection.4,5, If a foreign body (e.g., dirt particles, wood, glass) is suspected but cannot be identified visually, then radiography, ultrasonography, or computed tomography may be needed. Staples are made of stainless steel wire and provide strength for wound closure. Shaving the area is rarely necessary. An article on wound care was previously published in American Family Physician.2, When a patient presents with a laceration, the physician should obtain a history, including tetanus vaccination status, allergies, and time and mechanism of injury, and then assess wound size, shape, and location.3 If active bleeding persists after application of direct pressure, hemostasis should be obtained using hemostat, ligation, or sutures before further evaluation. 14. Instruct patient not to pull off Steri-Strips. See Additional Information. Allow the Steri-Strips to fall off naturally and gradually (usually takes one to threeweeks). Sutures must be left in place long enough to establish wound closure with enough strength to support internal tissues and organs. Assess wound healing after removal of each suture to determine if each remaining suture will be removed. Sutures are tiny threads, wire, or other material used to sew body tissue and skin together. Checklist 35 outlines the steps to remove continuous and blanket stitch sutures. Suture removal is determined by how well the wound has healed and the extent of the surgery. PROCEDURE: skin lesion excision Only remove remaining sutures if wound is well approximated. Passage of the string or suture may be facilitated with the use of a mosquito hemostat. Key words were skin laceration, skin repair, local anesthesia, sterile technique, sterile gloves, and wound irrigation. This action prevents the suture from being left under the skin. If there are concerns, question the order and seek advice from the appropriate health care provider. There are three types of sutures techniques: intermittent, blanket, and continuous (see Figure 4.2). 2021 by Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. Right hip sutures removed. Doctors use a special instrument called a staple remover. Never snip both ends of the knot as there will be no way to remove the suture from below the surface. 1.2 Infection Prevention and Control Practices, 1.4 Additional Precautions and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 1.5 Surgical Asepsis and the Principles of Sterile Technique, 1.7 Sterile Procedures and Sterile Attire, 3.6 Assisting a Patient to a Sitting Position and Ambulation, 4.6 Moist to Dry Dressing, and Wound Irrigation and Packing, 6.3 Administering Medications by Mouth and Gastric Tube, 6.4 Administering Medications Rectally and Vaginally, 6.5 Instilling Eye, Ear, and Nose Medications, 7.2 Parenteral Medications and Preparing Medications from Ampules and Vials, 7.3 Intradermal and Subcutaneous Injections, 7.5 Intravenous Medications by Direct IV Route, 7.6 Administering Intermittent Intravenous Medication (Secondary Medication) and Continuous IV Infusions, 7.7 Complications Related to Parenteral Medications and Management of Complications, 8.3 IV Fluids, IV Tubing, and Assessment of an IV System, 8.4 Priming IV Tubing and Changing IV Fluids and Tubing, 8.5 Flushing a Saline Lock and Converting a Saline Lock to a Continuous IV Infusion, 8.6 Converting an IV Infusion to a Saline Lock and Removal of a Peripheral IV, 8.7 Transfusion of Blood and Blood Products, 10.2 Caring for Patients with Tubes and Attachments. Sutures must be left in place long enough to establish wound closure with enough strength to support internal tissues and organs. Transparent film (e.g., Tegaderm) and hydrocolloid dressings are readily available and suited for repaired wounds without drainage. Place sterile gauze close to suture line; grasp scissors in dominant hand and forceps in non-dominant hand. Alternate sutures (every second suture) are typically removed first, and the remaining sutures are removed once adequate approximation of the skin tissue is determined. 9. There is a slightly higher likelihood of wound dehiscence with tissue adhesives than with sutures, with a number needed to harm of 25 for tissue adhesives.52,53. If the galea is lacerated more than 0.5 cm it should be repaired with 2-0 or 3-0 absorbable sutures. 6. Noninfected wounds caused by clean objects may undergo primary closure up to 18 hours after injury. 9. The Steri-Strips will help keep the skin edges together. Procedure Notes Procedure Name: Laceration Repair Indication: Reduce risk of infection Location: __________________ Pre-Procedure Diagnosis: Laceration Post-Procedure Diagnosis: Repaired Laceration Informed consent was obtained before procedure started. (AFP 2014). A variety of suture techniques are used to close a wound, and deciding on a specific technique depends on the location of the wound, thickness of the skin, degree of tensions, and desired cosmetic effect (Perry et al., 2014). Depending on the type of wound, it may be reasonable to close even 18 or more hours after injury. Irrigation cleanses the wound of debris and dilutes bacterial load before closure. Medical Author: D48.5 Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of skin. Therefore, protect the wound from . Excellent anesthesia was obtained. Remove remaining sutures on incision line if indicated. All sutures used for traumatic skin laceration repair are swaged (ie, the needle and suture are connected as a continuous unit). Sutures, needles, and other instruments that touch the wound should be sterile, but everything else only needs to be clean. Nonabsorbent sutures are usually removed within 7 to 14 days. An order to remove sutures must be obtained prior to the procedure, and a comprehensive assessment of the wound site must be performed prior to the removal of the sutures by the healthcare provider. 4,9,12-14 The types of sutures used to secure chest tubes vary according to the preference of the physician, the physician assistant, or the advanced practice nurse. Explain process to patient and offer analgesia, bathroom etc. Chapter 3. This is also a relatively painless procedure. PREREQUISITE NURSING KNOWLEDGE Wound healing is a nonspeci c response to injury. Your documentation in the medical record should always reflect precisely your specific interaction with an individual patient. The rate of wound infection is less with adhesive strips than with stitches. July 10, 2018. Sutures may be absorbent (dissolvable) or non-absorbent (must be removed). Place Steri-Strips on remaining areas of each removed suture along incision line. Disclaimer:Always review and follow your hospital policy regarding this specific skill. Instruct patient to take showers rather than bathe. The body of the needle is the portion that is grasped by the needle holder during the procedure. They are common in African Americans and in anyone with a history of producing keloids. Some of your equipment will come in its own sterile package. Lidocaine/prilocaine is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use on nonintact skin, although it has been used this way in numerous studies. Individual patient . Prepare the sterile field and add necessary supplies (staple extractor). Figure 4.3Intermittent plain suturesby Jones, S. isused under the CC BY-SA 2.0license. Lacerations of the fingers, hands, and forearms can be repaired by a family physician if deep tissue injury is not suspected. After cleansing the wound, the doctor will gently back out each staple with the remover. Sutures must be left in place long enough to establish wound closure with enough strength to support internal tissues and organs. Toenail removal; 10. Copyright 2017 by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Alternatively you can use no touch technique. %PDF-1.3 % 1 0 obj << /Fields [ ] /DR << /Encoding << /PDFDocEncoding 13 0 R >> /Font << /Helv 9 0 R /ZaDb 5 0 R >> >> /DA (/Helv 0 Tf 0 g ) >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 455 >> stream 18. Grasp knot of suture with forceps and gently pull up knot while slipping the tip of the scissors under suture near the skin. The patient should be referred to ophthalmology if the laceration involves the eye itself, the tarsal plate, or the eyelid margin, or penetrates deeper than the subcutaneous layer. Non-Parenteral Medication Administration, Chapter 7. Want to create or adapt OER like this? Non-absorbent sutures are usually removed within 7 to 14 days. Initial Competence 1. A variety of suture techniques are used to close a wound, and deciding on a specific technique depends on the location of the wound, thickness of the skin, degree of tensions, and desired cosmetic effect (Perry et al., 2014). All sutures used for traumatic skin laceration repair are swaged (ie, the needle and suture are connected as a continuous unit). His eyebrow and neck wounds have been closed with adhesive strips. Checklist 34 provides the steps for intermittent suture removal. Approximately 6 million patients present to emergency departments for laceration treatment every year.1 Although many patients seek care at emergency departments or urgent care centers, primary care physicians are an important resource for urgent laceration treatment. PROCEDURE: skin cleaned with wound cleanser skin cleaned with Hibiclens skin cleaned with Betadine skin cleaned w NS drain/packing removed closure material removed small amount of purulent . If suture isnt removed, gently pull on suture material to determine the next entry / exit point. 9. Sutureremoval is determined byhow well the wound has healed and the extent of the surgery. Place lower tip of staple extractor beneath the staple. Your documentation in the medical record should always reflect precisely your specific interaction with an individual patient. Continue to keep the wound clean and dry. Notify the doctor if a suture loosens or breaks. What would be your next steps? How-To Videos. You will need sterile suture scissors or suture blade, sterile dressing tray (to clean incision site prior to suture removal), non-sterile gloves, normal saline, Steri-Strips, and sterile outer dressing. 8-10 Wind the distal portion of the suture tightly around the digit in a closed spiral (Figure 101-2B). Instruct patient to pat dry, and to not scrub or rub the incision. Dehiscence: Incision edges separate during staple removal, Patient experiences pain when staples are removed. Using the principles of asepsis,place Steri-Strips perpendicular along the incision line with gaps of approximately 2 to 3 mm between each. 2021 by Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. 12. Inform patient that the procedure is not painful but the patent may feel some pulling of the skin during suture removal. To remove intermittent sutures, hold scissors / blade in dominant hand and forceps in non-dominant hand. Wound dehiscence, a mechanical failure of wound healing, remains a problem and can be affected by multiple factors (Spiliotis et al., 2009). Steri-Strips and outer dressing, if indicated. At the time of suture removal, the wound has only regained about 5%-10% of its strength. The most commonly seen suture is the intermittent suture. The muscle layer and oral mucosa should be repaired with 3-0 or 4-0 absorbable sutures, and skin should be repaired with 6-0 or 7-0 nylon sutures. An optimal cosmetic result depends on reapproximation of the vermilion border. . Remove every second suture until the end of the incision line. The 5-0 or 6-0 sutures should be used for the face, and 4-0 sutures should be used for most other areas. Suture Type and Timing of Removal by Location; Suture Types: Absorbable vs. Nonabsorbable Sutures; Ultrasound; Other procedures of interest. 5. There are no significant studies to guide technique choice. Complete patient teaching regarding Steri-Strips and bathing, wound inspection for separation of wound edges, and ways to enhance wound healing. After assessing the wound, decide if the wound is sufficiently healed to have the sutures removed. If necessary, clean and dry the incision site according to agency policy. 6. The edges of the eyebrow serve as landmarks, so the eyebrow should not be shaved. 7. Sutures are divided into two general categories, namely, absorbable and nonabsorbable. Use of clean nonsterile examination gloves rather than sterile gloves during wound repair does not significantly increase risk of infection. 13. Report findings to the primary health care provider for additional treatment and assessments. The patient was anesthetized. Sutures must be left in place long enough to establish wound closure with enough strength to support internal tissues and organs. Early suture removal risks wound dehiscence; however, to decrease scarring and cross-hatching of facial sutures, half of the suture line (ie, every other suture) may be removed on day 3 and the remainder are removed on day 5. Removal of staples requires sterile technique and a staple extractor. However, there is no strong evidence that cleansing a wound increases healing or reduces infection.10 A Cochrane review and several RCTs support the use of potable tap water, as opposed to sterile saline, for wound irrigation.2,1013 To dilute the wounds bacterial load below the recommended 105 organisms per mL,14 50 to 100 mL of irrigation solution per 1 cm of wound length is needed.15 Optimal pressure for irrigation is around 5 to 8 psi.16 This can be achieved by using a 19-gauge needle with a 35-mL syringe or by placing the wound under a running faucet.16,17 Physicians should wear protective gear, such as a mask with shield, during irrigation. Inspection of incision line reduces the risk of separation of incision during procedure. Excessive scarring: All wounds will form a scar, and it will take months for a scar to completely contract and remodel to its permanent form. Confirm physician/nurse practitioner (NP) orders, and explain procedure to patient. PROCEDURE: Placing wound under Running tap water. 12. Anesthesia may be necessary to achieve hemostasis and to explore the wound. A single bite with reverse cutting needle or tapered needle (6-0 polypropylene sutures) should be used to approximate skin and perichondrium simultaneously. Procedure Notes CERNER EHR Welcome to our Cerner Tips & Tricks page. The lesion was removed in the usual manner by the biopsy method noted above. The goals of laceration repair are to achieve hemostasis and optimal cosmetic results without increasing the risk of infection. This prevents the transmission of microorganisms. Grasp the knot of the suture with forceps and gently pull up. All wounds held together with staples require an assessment to ensure the wound is sufficiently healed to remove the staples. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP. We are fullspectrum FamilyMedicine.Our graduates are empowered to serve with continuity of care in all settings, valuing all peoples. 9. Non-absorbent sutures are usually removed within 7 to 14 days. Think about how you can reduce waste but still ensure safety for the patient. Sutures must be left in place long enough to establish wound closure with enough strength to support internal tissues and organs. The wound line must also be observed for separations during the process of suture removal. Suture removal is determined by how well the wound has healed and the extent of the surgery.
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