In fact, each year nearly 37 million people visit the emergency department due to an injury, including 11.5 million people who come to be treated for a serious laceration, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Summer months bring on the year's peak of these injuries as people become more involved in outdoor activities. Yet physicians say that some people who sustain this type of injury wait too long to seek care, making it more difficult for doctors to close the wound, increasing the risk of infection and serious scarring. Whether they delayed due to reluctance to appear foolish or simply not understanding how seriously they were injured, blood loss, increased risk of infection and serious scarring may be the result. Many lacerations, after only a few hours of delay, will contain enough bacteria that serious infections can occur if the wound is closed.
Early treatment improves the chances of successful treatment in all lacerations.
People may be more at risk for these types of injuries in the summer months. Treatments Available Emergency physicians now have a variety of effective treatments available to close serious wounds and get patients quickly on the road to recovery. Topical skin adhesive is one of the newest innovations in skin closure. The physician applies the adhesive on top of the skin while holding the edges of the wound together. For some wounds, the adhesive takes less time to apply than stitches and forms a strong, flexible bond over the top of the wound and does not require a bandage.