Unwholesome trauma care: a cautionary note.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Trauma care requires proper training on how to diagnose life and limb threatening conditions. The aim of this paper is to report an extreme case of unwholesome practice that drained the patient physically, emotionally and financially. METHODS: The medical record of the patient and relevant literature were reviewed. RESULT: A 25-year-old commercial motorcyclist (okada) presented with a huge discharging leg ulcer with exposed plate and necrotic distal half of the right tibia on the account of uninformed treatment he received from his primary physician and a traditional bonesetter spanning a period of five months. The foot was found to be grossly deformed and insensate. Below knee amputation was done as salvage. CONCLUSION: Our undergraduate curriculum should change to expose medical students more to basic trauma care. A designated body should regulate activities of traditional bonesetters. The practitioners should be made to undergo some form of training to recognize high-risk trauma patients and the need for early referral.