Probably, every person knows what a wound is: at least once in a lifetime, but everyone received it. Fortunately, in most cases the case is limited to minor damage, which, nevertheless, gives a very clear idea of the subject of our article. Even a person who is not a surgeon or at least a physician by occupation must have not only theoretical knowledge of what a wound is, but also practical skills in the initial actions when it is received. In serious situations, before the arrival of qualified paramedics, they can save a life - not for you, but for someone who, thanks to competent measures, will survive until the ambulance arrives.
What is a wound from a medical point of view
Despite everyone's awareness, let's give some blurry ideas a clearer outline. If we give a more or less scientific definition of what a wound is, then we can say that it is called a gaping,visible damage to the skin (often to deeper tissues of the human body). It is accompanied by a number of symptoms. Common ones include:
- Bleeding of varying severity.
- Compulsory pain.
- Visual observation of the source of blood flow.
The following are considered local or private:
- Severe anemia, that is, severe blood loss. It cannot be called a general symptom, since it does not occur with minor injuries or quickly taken measures.
- Shock. It also accompanies not all wounds. Accompanies mainly deep and / or extensive damage.
- Infection - typical for individual types of wounds or for illiterately treated injuries.
Other, more rare, symptoms may occur. Any open wound (except perhaps the most minor) can lead to extremely unpleasant consequences. Therefore, such injuries require increased attention and indispensable medical supervision.
Types of injuries by tissue disorders
The upcoming wound treatment is fully determined by a number of its characteristics. The first of these is how much damage has affected the internal membranes lining the peritoneum, the membranes of the brain, any joint or pleura. Here they allocate:
- Penetrating wounds, in which the integrity of one of the mentioned membranes is broken.
- Non-penetrating, affecting only the skin and upper muscle layer.
The first kind is more dangerous: this type of open woundheals longer and requires an integrated approach to treatment. The most severe are penetrating wounds with damage to the internal organs - one or more.
Types of injuries by presence of infection
A very important factor that largely determines the course of further treatment. Any wound - on the leg, arm, head or torso - can be classified into one of three groups:
- Unclear flow, so-called contaminated. There are no signs of suppuration, but infection is possible.
- Purulent, they are infected.
- Aseptic, in which suppuration is impossible even theoretically. These include only injuries resulting from surgery.
Types of injuries by origin
The most extensive classification regarding the mechanism of injury and the type of object that caused it.
- Stab wound. Its inlet is small in diameter, but the wound channel is long, albeit narrow. It is usually applied with sharpening, a nail or an awl. It is considered the most dangerous due to the high probability of damage to the viscera and the development of infections due to poor oxygen access.
- Rezanaya, on the contrary, is shallow, with a rather large entrance. The application tool is a knife or razor. If large vessels and viscera are not affected, such wounds heal faster than others.
- Chopped is applied with sharp and heavy objects like an axe. The injuries are extensive, severe, often accompanied by bone fractures andfragmentation.
- A laceration is very difficult to treat, caused by sliding an uneven blade along the body with simultaneous pressure. May be accompanied by partial loss of integument and underlying tissues.
- Gunshot wounds have a number of features caused by the type of weapon (shot, bullet, shrapnel) and the degree of damage. The lightest are tangents, in which the bullet does not get inside, but only rips off the surface tissue layer. To the most severe - blind, in which the bullet remains inside the body.
The key to successful healing
Basic treatment for a wound more serious than a scratch will be prescribed by a doctor. However, in order for it not to drag on for too long, primary measures must be taken. These include:
- Immediate stop bleeding. If the wound is on the leg or arm, a tourniquet is applied; if there is a pressure bandage on the body or head.
- Aseptic dressing, which will block the access of infection to exposed tissues.
- Immobilization of the affected part of the body: fixation of the limb pressed to the body, if the wound is on the arm, the imposition of a splint in case of an open fracture of the leg, etc.
- Pain relief (if possible). It will prevent shock, which often ends in cardiac arrest, especially in the elderly.
If all these measures are taken even minimally, further wound healing will be much more successful.
Why wounds don't heal
However, there are often cases when notthe wound heals, the forecasts for which were quite optimistic. In most cases, this is due to objective reasons, including:
- Diabetes. In people suffering from this disease, even small scratches do not heal well. This is due to the fact that a high sugar content gradually destroys capillaries, which impairs blood circulation in the limbs and tissues, the situation with their nutrition becomes more complicated, and it becomes more difficult for them to regenerate.
- Obesity can be considered a special case of the previous case. The abundance of the fat layer makes it difficult for damaged tissues to receive nutrition, which makes their recovery significantly delayed.
- Anemia is a continuation of the same theme. "Weak" blood is not able to sufficiently nourish the tissues with the necessary substances. This also includes the general weakening of the body, including - and caused by all sorts of diets.
- Skin diseases like eczema, dermatitis of various origins and psoriasis prevent wounds from healing quickly.
Immunodeficiency and cancer can be taken out as a separate item. Here, wound treatment should be carried out by doctors of various specializations.
How to speed up healing
In order to prevent a situation in which you have to find out why the wound does not heal, in most cases it is enough to zealously follow primitive hygiene rules.
- Change bandages regularly (at least 2 times a day).
- Periodically disinfect the skin around the injury (as directeddoctor).
- Vigilantly monitor the sterility of dressings and instruments used.
- Properly choose (taking into account the doctor's recommendations!) wound healing drugs.
And so on: remain inactive if recommended, take medicines meticulously (primarily antibiotics) and obey your doctor in everything.
Features of lacerations
Especially a lot of trouble and anxiety delivers any lacerated wound. It heals badly, certainly requires medical intervention and a long time. The main problem of their treatment is disfiguring scars that remain for life. Therefore, if the wound is large and is in a conspicuous place, the surgical method is preferred to the conservative method (overgrowth by secondary intention). When using it, the torn edges under anesthesia or anesthesia are excised before the start of he althy, intact tissues. Next, a suture is applied, close to cosmetic; at the same time, the laceration heals many times faster, and the scars remain almost invisible - provided that you do everything as the surgeon ordered, do not be self-willed and show patience, even when experiencing nervous tension.
