Paramedic Injury

A 35-year-old Caucasian male came to the hospital by Life-Flight after sustaining a compound fracture to the left leg below the knee. Upon the paramedic’s arrival, the patient explained that he was hiking and fell down a hill, injuring his left leg in the process. The patient wrapped the leg with a shirt in an attempt to stop the bleeding, and also to stabilize the fracture. According to the patient, he began to have intense pain at the site of injury hours after the incident (Pietrangelo, 2012). Additionally, after the injury he suffered from a rapid heart rate, severe swelling and pale skin (Pietrangelo, 2012). The day after the injury, the patient explained that the wound developed small bubbles under the skin (Pietrangelo, 2012). According to the patient he was stranded in the woods for approximately one and a half days after the injury occurred. The paramedics reported that the wound had a severe infection. The compound fracture was severe and appeared to be the fibula. Skin around the wound was dark red and discharge was coming from the open wound (Pietrangelo, 2012). Paramedics also noted that laceration was compacted with foreign substances such as dirt and …show more content…
This disease occurs when blood supply to the tissue is delayed by the wound, so the tissue becomes anaerobic, and the tissue begins to die (Pietrangelo, 2012). If the wound is contaminated with endospores of Clostridium, the wound will be infected with the disease known as gas gangrene. Gas gangrene is typically caused by improper cleaning of the wound, crushed tissue and deep lacerations. Common symptoms are swelling, redness, pain, blisters with foul-smelling drainage, dark red or black skin around injury and yellowing of the skin or jaundice (Pietrangelo, 2012). The amount of incidences reported of gas gangrene is about 3000 cases occur annually (Ho,