A red-headed Auror presents after suffering an ear injury in a duel with one of the few remaining death eaters. He reports bleeding from the ear after being hit with “Secumsempra” (Don’t get any of these references? Seriously?!?!? See here and GO READ A BOOK…OR SEE A MOVIE!)
On exam, he has an oozing 1 cm laceration to his left ear with underlying swelling secondary to a blood clot.
How do you repair this?
You cannot just suture the wound! The auricular hematoma can block blood supply to the cartilage leading to cauliflower ear or erosive chondritis. You must evacuate the hematoma and cover it with a pressure dressing once sutured.
By Dr. Andrew Grock and Dr. Sally Bogoch
References
Peer VIII
uptodate
The views expressed on this blog are the author's own and do not reflect the views of their employer. Please read our full disclaimer here. Any references to clinical cases refer to patients treated at a virtual hospital, Janus General Hospital.
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andygrock
- Resident Editor In Chief of blog.clinicalmonster.com.
- Co-Founder and Co-Director of the ALiEM AIR Executive Board - Check it out here: http://www.aliem.com/aliem-approved-instructional-resources-air-series/
- Resident at Kings County Hospital
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