Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Laceration injuries comprise over 8% of all emergency department (ED) visits annually.1 Giventhat laceration injuries represent a significant volume of ED visits, emergency physicians (EP)should be comfortable treating these types of injuries. We present the case of a 34-year-old malewho presented to the ED as a trauma activation who suffered multiple injuries including complexfull-thickness lacerations to his face. While there are scenarios in which consulting a specialist isnecessary, knowledge and application of basic wound closure principles allows for many complexlacerations to be repaired by EPs. We provide a helpful systematic approach to evaluating andtreating complex facial lacerations in the ED.