SKIN BIOPSY: THE 'SAFE' PROCEDURE THAT GOES WRONG 30 PER CENT OF TIME

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[healthy.net]

SKIN BIOPSY: THE 'SAFE' PROCEDURE THAT GOES WRONG 30 PER CENT OF THE

TIME

A skin biopsy is supposed to be one of the simplest, and safest,

procedures. But while the patient is assured the procedure is completely

safe, researchers have discovered that nearly a third of all biopsies

have complications, such as wound infections. The patient was more

likely to suffer complications if the skin biopsy was performed below

the waist, if the procedure happened in a hospital ward rather than in

the outpatient unit, if the patient was a smoker and if he or she was

taking corticosteroid drugs at the time.

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