Accidents happen, and when they do, you need to know when it is necessary to seek medical treatment, and when simple first aid will do. Minor wounds can vary in condition, and because of that, the proper treatment will vary as well. In this article, we will endeavor to define the different types of wounds, how they should be treated, and what to do about after care.
Types of Wounds
There are five basic types of minor wounds: lacerations, abrasions, blisters, cuts and bites. Each one requires a different kind of treatment, and the condition of each wound will tell you whether or not you should receive proper medical treatment, as opposed to simple first aid.
• Lacerations: A laceration is defined as being irregularly shaped wounds that will often have ragged edges of skin around it. Because these will also often involve deep skin damage, as well as bruising, these are best treated by a doctor at an emergency room.
• Abrasions: Abrasions are superficial, usually grazes in which the top layer of skin has been removed, like those found with a skinned knee. Because these injuries will often have debris in the wound, they must be examined carefully to see if that debris can be easily removed, if not, get medical care at the emergency room.
• Blisters: A blister is the result of friction being applied to the top two layers of skin through constant pressure. Most will burst on their own, or you can puncture and drain it yourself. Remove the skin from the surface, and apply a protective dressing for quick healing.
• Cuts and Bites: Cuts and bites should be treated at the medical center emergency room, primarily because of the risk of infection, and internal bleeding. Some cuts will not close on their own, and may need stitches, but you could effectively treat superficial cuts that do not extend below the surface layer by cleaning, applying pressure, and bandaging it.
Cleaning Wounds
More often than not, the determination as to whether a wound can be treated with simple first aid or through a trip to the emergency room cannot be done until the wound has been cleaned first. Only then can the full extent of the wound be truly known. Every first aid kit should contain some kind of antiseptic solution for wound cleaning, and when used, it should be applied and left on the wound for at least two minutes to be effective. After that, it can be rinsed off with a saline solution.
Wound irrigation, which will wash away blood, dirt, gravel and other debris, should be done before attempting to dress the wound in any way. This is best done with antiseptic solutions like chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine, or at the very least, normal saline. Once the wound is cleaned, examine it carefully for tears or bleeding below the surface of the skin, how deep the wound is, or whether you can see further underlying damage within it. Then you can determine whether or not more medical aid will be needed.
Wound After-Care
Whether the wound is treated in the field, or at the hospital, the next main concern is the healing of it. Some medical conditions, like a compromised immune system or diabetes, will sometimes affect how a wound will heal, often extending the total time required. Other than prior medical conditions, there are two main barriers to the proper healing of any wound: moisture and infection. Burns and blisters, especially, require some moisture to accelerate the healing process. These will often require that the area of the wound remain lightly moistened while new skin grows to heal the wound site.
Infected minor wounds will exhibit some very definite physical signs. There will often be signs of pus or clear fluid leaking from it, redness of the skin around it, tenderness, a light covering of skin that is very fragile or bleeds easily, and a definite odor coming from the wound. Should this happen, it is imperative that you get medical treatment as soon as possible. Rounds of antibiotics or wound debridement may be required to get the infection under control, and healing begun.