Anatomy and Physiology
Skin injuries such as abrasions and lacerations are common patient presentations in emergency departments or primary care facilities (Newman & Mahdy, 2022). Three weeks ago, my 7-year-old nephew fell while playing soccer at the park and suffered a partial ear laceration. The laceration occurred on the helix of the right ear.
The injury led to an ear laceration, exposed cartilage, and a tear in tissue (Newman & Mahdy, 2022). The ear laceration appearance was due to decreased blood supply to the ear. Ear injuries can alter blood supply by the posterior auricular artery and superficial, temporary artery to the ear. A dual blood supply is necessary for fast and proper healing of the ear. However, the superficial temporal artery through the upper auricular branch can supply adequate blood to the entire ear.
My nephew was taken to the hospital within an hour of the accident. Treatment of the injury focused on minimization of the wound hematoma and covering exposed cartilage (Williams & Sternard, 2022). The area around the laceration was cleaned, followed by administration of anesthesia with a regional auricular block, and the wound was irrigated using normal saline. A sterile drape was applied, followed by debridement and repair.
The wound began to heal by reinforcing the platelet plug due to coagulation and adherence of platelets to the sub-endothelium surface. The fibrin mesh forms to form a clot that keeps blood cells trapped. There was an inflammation that subsided after one day. The wound is healed but with weaker skin without any hematoma or infections. Using the regional block ensured that the edges of the wound were not distorted during the administration of the anesthesia. The physician and nurse ensured that the skin could cover the exposed cartilage before the repair. The pressure was applied after a repair, which prevented the formation of a hematoma (Williams & Sternard, 2022).
References
Newman, R.K., & Mahdy, H. (2022). Laceration. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545166/
Williams, C.H., & Stannard, B.T. (2022). Complex Ear Lacerations. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525973
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Question 
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
Reflect on your experience, or maybe that of a family member, after sustaining a skin injury.
Anatomy and Physiology
What did you notice about the process of healing the injury?
What do you think was occurring at the cellular level to cause it to heal that way?
What was the appearance of the injury after it was fully healed?
What do you think was occurring at the cellular level to cause it to look that way?