General Forums >> Ask A Nurse >> Perplexing Injury
Perplexing Injury
17 posts back to top |
Posted over 2 years ago I am not currently a Nurse, but hope to attain that title when I have more education. Right now I am taking an EMT course and ran across an injury with mechanics that I cannot seem to grasp. The following is the situation: (Due to the stringency of HIPAA ruling, I will not disclose any identifying information.) Sex: Female She was found on the second story of an apartment with the following injuries: -Fractured right Humerus -Fractured Tibia/Fibula When the Tibia/Fibula fractured, they were forced through the medial/posterior of the calf, tearing through everything and breaking the skin about two inches below the knee. The thing about this situation I don't understand is the almost complete absence of blood. Carpeting under her was white in color with only slight speckles of blood splatter. Anyone have any theories? Or is this the completely wrong forum to ask this on? (If I am violating HIPAA policies with this inquiry, please let me know. I am reasonably sure that someone couldn't identify who I am talking about with this information.) |
29 posts back to top |
| Posted over 2 years ago (Paramedic here...not yet a nurse) Something that you will come to find out with some time in EMS is that wounds are funny things - some that you expect to be gushing blood are like your patient here, with only a little bit, and others that you expect to have not bled at all are in hypovolemic shock. For this patient, I would suspect that she was very, very lucky in the route that the bones took on their way out of her leg. No big arterial or venous tears, and the bones may have actually slid between muscles, so really, only capillaries in the skin were torn. Or, she could have moved from another location. Hrm, what else...I've got another idea right on the tip of my tongue, but can't remember. Smidge more information would probably be helpful, like a general age range and how muscular this patient was, what sort of medications... |
|
17 posts back to top |
| Posted over 2 years ago Ahh, I figured someone would need more information for an answers. As far as what medications she was taking, I am currently now privy to that information, but here is what I know.
Sex: Female | Age Range: 50 - 60 | Weight: 280 - 320lbs. (not muscle)
The description of the scene didn't say anything about her being moved from where she was found. And in that given situation, it doesn't seem likely that she could have moved far even with aid. I forgot to mention this in the former post, she had minor feeling in the left foot and they identified the Dorsal Pedis pulse.
On a side note, I have never had the chance to talk with a Paramedic, it is quite an honor if I do say so myself. |
