Clinical analysis of 549 patients undergoing emergency debridement and suturing

Open wounds in the emergency department are one of the most common conditions seen in emergency trauma surgery clinics, and debridement and suturing are the primary treatment methods for such wounds. With improvements in healthcare conditions, advancements in medical technology, and increasing public awareness of emergency open wounds, there have been new developments in the treatment of such injuries within medical institutions. Therefore, this study analyzes and summarizes the clinical data of patients with emergency open wounds treated at the Luoyang Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2025 to June 2025, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of emergency open wounds. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 549 patients with emergency open wounds treated at the Emergency Trauma Surgery Outpatient Clinic of Luoyang Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2025 to June 2025. The analysis examined patient gender, age, time of presentation, injury site, mechanism of injury, antibiotic use, and infection status. The age group with the highest number of patients presenting with open wounds in the emergency department was 31–40 years old, with a total of 100 cases (18.21%); this was followed by the 0–10 age group, with 96 cases (17.49%). The number of patients aged 40 and older was significantly lower than that of patients younger than 40, with 83 cases (33.31%) in the 40-and-older group. Among them, 350 were male (63.75%), and 199 were female (36.25%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.76:1. The time from injury to the start of medical treatment was primarily within 1 h of the injury, totaling 446 cases (81.24%); the total number of patients treated within 6 h of the injury was 526 (95.81%). In terms of the mechanism of injury, sharp-object injuries accounted for the highest proportion, totalling 178 cases (43.41%); the main causative agents included knives, glass, sheet metal, shards of porcelain and splinters of wood. Antibiotics were administered to 38 patients (6.92%), while 511 patients (93.08%) did not receive antibiotics; 3 cases (0.55%) developed infections; among these, 1 patient was prescribed oral antibiotics, and the infected wound was debrided to control the infection before being re-sutured and healed. Among patients treated in the emergency trauma surgery department, upper limb injuries were the most common, with 268 cases (48.82% of the total); among upper limb injuries, open wounds of the hand were the most frequent, with 195 cases (35.52% of the total); followed by scalp lacerations, with a total of 156 cases (28.42%); lower limb injuries were relatively less common, with 117 cases (21.31%); and injuries to the chest, abdomen, and buttocks were the least frequent, with 12 cases (2.18%). Open wounds in the emergency department are relatively common, primarily resulting from accidental injuries, and have shown an upward trend in recent years. Emergency open wounds predominantly occur in males, the 31–40 years age group, and the hand region. Cut wounds inflicted by sharp knives are the leading cause of emergency open wounds. The majority of patients undergo debridement and suturing within one hour post-injury, and a delay in treatment time does not increase the risk of infection. With timely management and thorough debridement, most emergency open wounds can achieve favorable treatment outcomes.