CHAPTER 110 ■ MINOR TRAUMA CHRISTINE S CHO GOALS OF EMERGENCY CARE Each year, an estimated 12 million wounds are treated in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States The first priority is stabilization of patients who have sustained trauma and recognizing significant injuries The care of minor injuries focuses on addressing pain, evaluating associated injuries, and wound closure The key drivers in optimal wound repair are obtaining hemostasis, preventing infection, and achieving the best long-term cosmesis while minimizing pain and anxiety Patient and parental satisfaction is driven in the short term by timeliness of care, length of stay, and minimizing pain, and in the long term by avoidance of complications, including infection, hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation, and poor cosmetic results KEY POINTS