Wound healing in the vulnerable: A novel case of postauricular wounds caused by mask ties.

Andrew Yousef, Olivia La Monte, Matthew Harmon, Deborah Watson

Open access · diamondAbstract readCase Reports

In one paragraph

Article in JEM reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 44% of its field

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Andrew YousefDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

Olivia La MonteDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

Matthew HarmonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

Deborah WatsonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.

University of California San Diego · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has made facial masks an essential part of daily life. While protective facial masks are crucial to help the spread of viral infections, they are common causes of facial skin breakdown, acne, and superficial injuries. Masks with elastic ear loops are also particularly likely to cause ear pressure injuries. Case report: Herein, we present a case of a patient experiencing homelessness found to have significant postauricular wounds due to prolonged mask use in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. These injuries led to bilateral erosion of the helix with partial avulsion of the ear and mask ear loops eroding into cartilage. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?: We describe a rare complication of mask use and highlight the difficulties the COVID pandemic has made in providing adequate care for chronic head and neck wounds amongst the homeless population. While PPE remains an important part of decreasing the risk of the spread of infections, it is important to recognize the vulnerabilities of the homeless population during the COVID pandemic and how best to care for novel auricular wounds.

Indexed as

Auricular injuryCOVID-19Mask complicationsOtolaryngology

Identifiers

PMID37223607

DOI10.1016/j.jemrpt.2023.100038

PMCPMC10188374

OpenAlexW4377042021

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.