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Biomedical subjects

W E Lindsey

Publications and source records attributed to W E Lindsey.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Cactus spine injuries.

Cactus spines produce injuries whose clinical significance is loosely in inverse proportion to the dimensions of the spine. Long and medium spines of saguaro and barrel cacti seldom result in embedded fragments, but when they do they are difficult to locate and remove. Other medium spines, those of prickly pear and cholla, are a nuisance but they can be removed readily by traction, as can the smaller spines (glochids) of the prickly pear. The very small spines (also glochids) of the polka dot or bunny's ear cactus (Opuntia microdasys) and the beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris) offer the most frustrating problem of all, but can be peeled off with a dried film of a professional facial gel.

Foreign Bodies↗

Natural course of the human bite wound: incidence of infection and complications in 434 bites and 803 lacerations in the same group of patients.

Human bites and common lacerations are frequent in certain residential groups in institutions for the care of developmentally disabled individuals. We screened the records of such an institution and studied the course and outcome of 434 human bite wounds and 803 lacerations in the same group of clients. Infection developed in 13.4% of the lacerations, and 17.7% of the bite wounds (chi 2 = 3.474; p greater than 0.06). Prophylactic antibiotics were administered after 14.0% of the bite wounds, and 3.2% of the lacerations. Infection supervened after prophylactic antibiotics in 29.5% of the bites and 34.6% of the lacerations. No patient with a bite wound required debridement, initial or subsequent surgical intervention other than wound closure, admission to hospital, or intravenous antibiotics. There is no recorded instance of a bite wound complication other than immediate loss of tissue. These data substantiate a higher incidence of infection in human bite wounds, but they are scant support for admonition that such wounds are indication for routine antimicrobial prophylaxis or aggressive surgical intervention.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗