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Children frequently cut themselves on glass. This study asked whether x-rays are necessary before closing the wound to determine if glass is present, or whether visual inspection alone is a reliable means of detection.
The researchers followed 216 children (mean age, 7.3 years) who came to an emergency department for treatment of glass lacerations during a 21-month period. In 160 cuts, the bottom of the wound was visible and believed to be free of glass; a roentgenogram revealed glass in 11 of these cuts (6.9 percent). In contrast, retained glass was found by roentgenogram in 12 (21.4 percent) of the 56 lacerations in which the bottom could not be seen. The more superficial the cut, the less likely that glass was present; fragments were foun…