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I am a candy-striper in our local hospital. They let me wheel patients down to physical therapy and over to X-ray. Every time I'm there, I take one man to physical therapy who has a badly broken leg. But what I don't understand is why they don't sew his skin closed? There's a wide open hole so you can see clear to the bone. I hate to admit this but it's really gross.
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First of all, thanks for being willing to volunteer at the hospital. Your service is a very valuable contribution to the care of patients. Many physical therapists, nurses, and doctors got their start in the candy striper department!
Secondly, your reaction to this open wound is very natural. If you ever find there are patients that you would rather not transport, let your supervisor know. There is no shame in that at all! Every one has their own personal comfort zone when it comes to viewing damaged body parts. It is okay to respect and honor what is acceptable for you.
As for the patient, we can only make some educated guesses about what is going on. Severe traumatic fractures with open wounds are at increased risk of infection. The first step in treatment is a procedure called irrigation and debridement. The surgeon cleans the area of any debris and cuts away any dead tissue. Usually the wound can then be closed.
But if there is an infection already present, then the wound may be left open so that wound care can begin. There's no sense in closing the skin around an infection that would only fester and get worse requiring another surgery to re-open the wound later. All efforts are made to reduce and eliminate the infectious process so that healing and complete recovery can proceed.
If you are comfortable with the patient, you may want to ask him directly what happened or what the long-term treatment plan might be. The answers to these kinds of questions (asked with sensitivity and tact) can often provide you with enough information to better understand why the open wound has not been closed yet.
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