I've been lurking mostly reading all the posts. It's crazy at work and I am several pages behind, so I apologize I'm so late to the game on the hospitalization/injury issue, but I wanted to add a few things from a Trauma level, orthopedic level, and surgery level...as an RN.
- Weight loss and dehydration - the weight wasn't lost overnight and would not be gained back in a few days of hospitalization. Being home (or somewhere safe), resting, being offered food she likes will help her regain the weight. Labs would reveal hydration status (via electrolyte panels and renal panels) and fluids can be bolused in the ED. A dangerous electrolyte imbalance would most likely cause an overnight stay for observation as electrolytes are replaced. Mild imbalances can be replaced in the ED.
- Battery - as long as testing (Sono, CT, MRI, etc) reveal no internal injuries and no RISKS of internal or extremity injuries (think, for examples: fractured rib risking puncturing of lung; bone fracture risking blood vessels; swelling risking nerve damage or blood supply, etc) you will be discharged home. It takes time for tissue to heal, fluid from swelling to reabsorb, and old blood from bruising to reabsorb, and a person won't look too much better just from a short hospital stay. Home, elevation, ice, and NSAIDs will help those injuries.
- Broken noses, jaws, or other common fractures - often these are too swollen to do surgery right away. Sometimes surgery is delayed a week to 10 days to allow swelling to disperse. If the swelling or injury risks the airway, you will be hospitalized.
-A Branding - this is so unfortunate; however, it's done, so going from there...scabs are not good in burns because they will leave a worse scar. We like a nice smooth ointment like silvadene (worse cases - daily debridement on newer burns) protecting the new pink granulation tissue that is regenerating and showing healing. **But keep this in mind, in scarification (body modification- branding) they LIKE the scarring and will do things to keep the burns irritated, such as peeling scabs, even putting citric acid, vinegar, salt, etc, in the burns to promote worse scarring...for months. The fact the brand in this case was said (by hubby) to have palpable scabbing, luck is on her side, because measures could have been taken, if the perpetrators desired, to keep that burn wound irritated, festering, and non-scabbing (not in a good way) causing a MUCH worse scar. I'm not by any means trying to play down or reduce the horror of being branded and the pain inflicted, I'm just saying things could have been done to make it a whole lot worse as far as recovery, removal, etc.
And remember this, please. Rape, sexual assault, whatever it is called in your state, can be committed against you by your same gender. And it includes foreign objects, which can do much more external and internal damage than a natural body part. I've read in posts here about no mention of a male so rape can be excluded, but we cannot make that assumption. The humiliation and terror of being forced to act or have an act forced on you, sexually, no matter the gender, is about power and control. I've seen some things I cannot unsee. Sensitivity is upmost regarding this subject. We cannot assume anything. Several of you here have shared your stories of assault and I commend you for sharing. Thank you so much for allowing us to learn from your stories and trusting us to treat you with compassion. I, too, have my own story, which led me into nursing, but I haven't the courage to share as yet.
Sorry so long, and thanks for giving me a voice here!
