Citation

MacKenzie G, Scott T. Emerg. Nurse 1997; 4(4): 18-19.

Affiliation

University of Teesside School of Health, Middlesbrough.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, RCN Publishing)

DOI

10.7748/en.4.4.18.s4

PMID

27254425

Abstract

Low velocity penetrating injuries commonly occur in the younger adult male. In a study of 80, 20-39 year olds in a Teeside hospital, 71 cases of penetrating injuries involved males. Within this group, four categories emerged; 20 stabbing injuries, four traumatic amputations and three gunshot wounds ( 1 ). From these figures it is necessary to clarify the meaning of the terms laceration and stabbing. 'Hie former is a tear to the flesh causing disruption of the skin structure, the latter is classified as a low velocity penetrating injury in which trauma is caused by a single blade, but may be multiple. This is compared with medium and high energy trauma associated with firearms, where tumble and fragmentation of bullets lead to secondary tissue trauma ( 2 ).

Language: en