The Wounds Flashcards
- Loss of skin on the body as a result of trauma or injury is called
“Wound‟
Partial loss of skin is called
“Abrasions‟
Traumatic wounds are classified mainly in two categories which forms the basis of management. They are:
- Tidy wound, such as clean incised wounds.
- Untidy wounds, such as lacerated wounds.
Another classification in four categories is based on the status of contamination of surgical sites.
- Clean wounds
- Clean contaminated wounds
- Contaminated wounds
- Dirty wounds
Clean wounds - when no viscous is opened
Clean wounds
- when viscous is opened but with minimal spillage of its contents
Clean contaminated wounds
- when spillage is from inflamed viscous
Contaminated wounds
- which are clearly infected
Dirty wounds
Clean wounds can be cleaned, dried, closed and sealed by?
dressings
Most surgical patients have wounds. Wounds require dressings. Clean wounds can be cleaned, dried, closed and sealed by dressings.
- Clean contaminated and oozing wounds should not be closed or sealed. They should be allowed to breathe and ventilate through porous dressings; they may require frequent dressings.
require cleaning, de-sloughing and debridement, till they become clean. Wounds contaminated with dirt, dust and soil require tetanus prophylaxis
Dirty wounds
close by themselves slowly. Epithelium grows at an average rate of 1mm per day; hence large wounds may take a long time to close. They may either be closed by sutures or clips and staples; or may be covered by skin grafts.
Healthy small wounds
- Healthy wounds are closed by?
primary suturing
unhealthy wounds are closed by secondary suturing or delayed closure after they are rendered healthy.
unhealthy wounds
Sutures, clips in wounds along stress lines and in vascular areas can be removed between _____days
3-7 days
Sutures, clips in wounds along stress lines and in vascular areas can be removed between 3-7 days. Those across the lines must be left for ______ weeks.
2-3 weeks
heal by primary intention; that is by regeneration of epithelium and minimum repair by fibrous tissue. They leave minimum scar.
Clean wounds
- Wounds along stress lines in body [Langer‟s lines] heal faster with minimum scar. Those across these lines take longer time to heal and leave ugly scars.
Wounds start gaining strength from ______ day onwards. They are strong enough to withstand normal stress within ______ weeks. However, remodeling and further gaining of strength continues for up to ________ months.
3rd
two weeks
6 months
All wounds, when they heal, leave _________.
scars
is fibrous tissue, covered by epithelium
Scar
All scars are deficient, devoid of nerves and vessels. Most of them are symptomless and fade away with time. In some cases scar may become hypertrophied and give an unpleasant cosmetic appearance; however this hypertrophy remains confined to the scar. Such scars may need revision.
is a complication of scar
Even a small scar of ear piercing can lead to outgrowing of this.
mainly grow outwards, are only disfiguring, and have minimal symptoms. Other type grows inwards and extends beyond the scar, deep into the tissues and has symptoms like severe itching and burning pain. It has racial and genetic tendencies. Recurrence, even after extensive excision is common.
Keloid
occurs due to trauma or during operations, and must be stopped. Reactionary hemorrhage is the term used for early hemorrhage in post trauma/operative period when collapsed small vessels open up following resuscitation, and start to bleed.
Primary haemorrhage
occurs in infected wounds when blood vessels are eroded by inflammatory process. Similar measures will work in both these situations. As first aid, in hemorrhages of extremities, elevation of the limb above the level of heart, direct compression on the bleeding area can be effective. Temporary proximal compression by bands or tourniquet can also be used; however it must be released intermittently so as not to cause distal ischaemia. Finally the bleeding points may have to be ligated or sutured.
Secondary hemorrhage
Spontaneous bleeding in skin and mucous membranes is called
Ecchymosis
Bleeding and extravasations of blood in tissues due to injury or trauma is called
Bruise or Contusion.
In these conditions, blood is diffusely spread and cannot be drained.
Bruise or Contusion
Collection of blood in tissues is called
Haematoma
are the commonest pathology dealt by surgeons. It is considered as a major complication in surgery.
Infections
3 Surgical Infections
- Surgical site infections [SSI],
- Nosocomial infections, and
- Cross infections.
usual organisms in surgical infections
Staphylococci
streptococci
E. Coli, proteus
pseudomonas
anaerobes
produce localized necrotizing inflammations and may end in collection of thick pus, due to their coagulase positive nature. Abscesses, boils, carbuncles, are examples of such lesions.
Staphylococci
is an infected hair follicle and is self limiting condition. It may spread and become an abscess, requiring drainage.
Boil or furuncle
is infection of many hair follicles in a group at one place, and occurs usually on nape of neck or on back. It is common in diabetics. It is common in diabetics.
Carbuncle