First Aid Flashcards
what are the four wound factors
- location
- time
- trauma
- trash
location of wound
- what type of tissue
- clean, recent, distal limb wounds
- head, body, upper leg
- eyelids, nostrils
time of wound
- how old wound is
- <6-8 hours ideal
trauma of wound
- degree of tissue injury
- how much of tissue injury there is
trash of wound
- degree of contamination
- how much contamination is in the wound and debris amount
granulation tissue
- cauliflower looking
- surface bleeds very easily (very vascular)
- no nerve supply
how long does it take for granulation to appear
around 4-5 days
- quickest of any species
what are the 3 basic stages of wound healing
- inflammation
- proliferation
- maturation
inflammation
- peak at day 1
- white blood cells try to engulf and bacteria
proliferation
new tissue and granulation growth
maturation
-long term changing of tissue
- don’t usually deal with
first intention
- primary closure
- best and fastest healing
- least scar tissue
- closing wound with sutures
second intention
- leaving wound un-sutured
- depends on formation of granulation tissue
- skin grows over
what is an important aspect of second intention healing
- need to remove more tissue
- bandages
- cleaned/changed daily
- daily cleansing until solid granulation formation
- higher risk of infection
proud flesh
excessive granulation tissue above skin edges
- too much of a good thing
- prohibits wound gealing
what are some causes of proud flesh
- motion of wound
- lack of blood supply
- lack of surrounding soft tissue (tight)
how can proud flesh be prevented
- immobilize the wound through bandages, casts, or splints
how can proud flesh be treated
- surgical method using scalpel to shave it off
- topical steroid ointment to shrink down granulation tissue
- chemicals that destroy granulation tissue and skin cells
why are joint infections important to prevent
they are hard to treat
- cause arthritis
- can end an athletic career
dehiscence
- failing/breaking apart
- use proper wound prep, remove excess tissue, and use proper aftercare (antibiotics and bandaging)
- occurs because of wound factors
what type of organisms causes tetanus
- bacterial
- clostridium tetani
toxoid
- active immunity
- longer lasting
- takes longer
- vaccine
antitoxin
- preformed antibodies
- passive
- immediate
- short term
why is tetanus so important
horses are the most susceptible species
vaccinated horses that sustain a wound > 6 months after last booster
treated by revaccination with toxoid
non-vaccinated horses who sustain injury
treated with toxoid + antitoxin at 2 separate sites
signs of tetanus
- 3rd eyelid prolapsing
- muscle paralysis
delayed primary closure
closure prior to granulation tissue formation
secondary closure
closure after formation of granulation tissue
where are the easiest places to heal
anything above hock
what are ways to see if a wound has entered a joint
- radiographs
- inject joint involved sterile fluid
- ultrasound
hemorrhage
- arterial vs venous
- amount of bleeding/blood loss
- rapid vs slow bleeding
how do you control hemorrhaging
- apply direct pressure
- ## clean packing
signs of excessive bleeding
- pale gum color
- cool extremities
- weak arterial pulse
- increases heart and pulse rate
- severe shock
what are some important aspects to understand of hemorrhages
- (0.8)(body wt)= volume of blood
- rapid loss is more critical
- 25-30% of blood volume can be lost in a 24 hour period
what is a horses blood volume
36 liters
what are some basics of wound treatment
- examine and explore wound
- protect wound with sterile gauze
- apply K-Y jelly
- scrub clipped area with antiseptic
- rinse with saline
- irrigate wound with saline
lavage
irrigate
what are you trying to determine with exploring the wound
- depth
- bone contact
- foreign bodies
what should you not apply to a wound
topical ointments or powder, along with rinsing with a garden hose
