Risk of heel necrosis when children get their feet stuck in bicycle spokes

At the Burn Unit, Orthopedics Department, National Children's Hospital, recently, many cases of children were admitted to the hospital with infections and necrosis of the soft tissue of the heel skin due to accidentally getting their feet stuck in the wheels of bicycles and motorbikes while the vehicles were rolling on the road.

A child who had an accident and got his leg stuck in a bicycle spoke was treated for his injuries.

A child who had an accident and got his leg stuck in a bicycle spoke was treated for his injuries.

Little girl NH (6 years old, in Nam Dinh ) unfortunately got her heel stuck in a bicycle spoke, causing a complex skin tear, exposing the left Achilles tendon.

The child's heel wound was quite serious, with exposed tendons and inflammation, necrosis, and oozing. The patient was transferred to the Burn Unit, Orthopedics Department, National Children's Hospital after treatment at the primary level did not improve.

At the National Children's Hospital, the child was assigned to have surgery to remove and cover the defect with a skin flap, and the wound was cared for and cleaned daily. The child's health is currently stable and he has been discharged from the hospital.

Also being treated at the Burn Unit, Orthopedics Department, National Children's Hospital is a girl named TM (3 years old, Hanoi ) who was admitted to the hospital with a fracture of 1/3 of her heel bone and necrosis of her heel skin. It is known that before being admitted to the hospital, her family took her out on a bicycle, and unfortunately her foot got caught in the spokes of the bicycle.

After the accident, the child had severe pain in his left heel and his family took him to a private clinic near his home to have his bandages changed and his wound cleaned daily. However, about 3 days later, the family noticed signs of infection in his leg, so they took him to the National Children's Hospital for examination and treatment.

According to specialist doctor Phung Cong Sang, Head of the Burn Unit, Deputy Head of the Orthopedic Department, National Children's Hospital, transporting children by bicycle/motorbike often poses a risk of accidents for children if there are no safety measures for children: such as installing child seats, installing footrest protection nets on the rear wheel of the vehicle.

According to doctors, although the wound on the heel is small, if it is subjective and not treated well at first, the rate of infection and necrosis from the wound is very high. Due to the external damage caused by friction and abrasion of soft tissue and also due to thermal burns caused by friction, the damage is often deep. In addition, the heel is the place that bears pressure, frequent movement and poor blood supply, so the ability to heal wounds is also worse than other places.

Besides, the wheel is a place where a lot of dust sticks, a good hiding place for bacteria, so most wounds caused by wheel jams are at risk of infection.

Through this, doctors recommend that parents minimize letting children sit alone in the back seat of a car. Young children are often hyperactive and have difficulty sitting still, so while the car is running, they often gradually lean to one side. When the car is bumpy, tilted or changes speed suddenly, it can cause the heel to get stuck in the spokes of the car, or even fall off the car.

For young children, it is necessary to use a belt to secure them when riding on the road to avoid unfortunate accidents. Families should install a protective net for the rear wheel of the bicycle and a car seat for young children.

If a child's foot gets stuck in a wheel, parents should take the child to a specialized medical facility immediately for proper and timely care and treatment instructions, helping to reduce complications and unfortunate consequences for the child.

TRAN LAM/NHAN DAN NEWSPAPER

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