What may increase your risk for problems after an injury?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.
Conditions
- A problem or condition present since birth (congenital defect)
- Previous injury to the same area
- Previous surgery to the injured area
- Previous surgery to remove the lymph nodes above the injured area
- Previous surgery to remove the spleen
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medicines
- Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
- Radiation therapy to the area or the lymph nodes above the injured area
Diseases
- Arthritis
- Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), or von Willebrand's
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Gout
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Inherited bone disease
- Kidney disease
- Lupus
- Lyme disease
- Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
- Multiple sclerosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Septic bursitis
- Sickle cell disease
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: August 31, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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