Physiological Basis of Wound Observations, Sources of Contamination, Antibiotic Rationale, and Wound Healing Process

This case study discusses the physiology of laceration wounds and wound infections, possible sources of contamination and modes of transmission, rationale for choices of antibiotics, and the process by which Mary's wound will heal. The wound healing process involves the inflammatory phase, proliferative phase, and maturation phase. The patient's wound was infected with Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to many antibiotics, but dicloxacillin was administered, which is a gold standard antibiotic for Staphylococcus aureus strains that are resistant to cephalexin.