Wound Classification and Management Flashcards
What is the definition of a laceration?
Skin is cut or torn open in an inrregular pattern
What is the definition of a burn?
Skin damage, superficial to full thickness
What is the definition of an abrasion?
superficial skin removed, being dragged across a road
What is the definition of puncturing?
caused by a sharp object
What are pressure sores?
Prolonged pressure to one area over time
What is a crush?
Closed wound caused by extreme force over a period of time
What is a contusion?
blunt force trauma, doesnt break skin but causes underlying damage
What is the first step of basic wound management?
Clip away fur, fill defects and cover exposed tissue with a sterile lubricant
What is the second step of basic wound management?
Lavage or irrigation (with sterile solution)
* removes gross contamination and microscopic debris
* reduces infection risk
What is the third step of basic wound management?
Exploration
* Exposure of vital structures
* Explore/ Probe any deep tracts
* Foreign body/ foreign material
* Entered abdomen/ thorax
What is the fourth step of basic wound management?
- Surgical debridement
- removal of unviable tissue, and gross foreign material
- reduces bacterial contamination
What is the fifth step of wound management?
Antibiotics
* use in contaminated wounds (give IV)
* based on likely contaminants from type of wound
What is the difference between infection and contamination?
Contamination is the presence of an infectious agent on a body surface
Infection is the ‘invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in body tissues, especially that causing local cellular injury due to competitive metabolism, toxins, intracellular replication, or antigen-antibody response
What is surgical debridement?
Procedure that removes nonviable tissue, bacteria and foreign material from a wound using sharp surgical instruments
What is primary closure?
Closing in less than 6 hours (Golden Period)
* Minimal contamination
* Following lavage and debridement
* No dead space and tension
What is delayed primary closure?
2-5 days- before granulation tissue
- Minimal to moderate contamination
- Autolytic debridement until primary closure
What is secondary closure?
5-7 days- after granulation
- Severe contamination, tissue loss, trauma
- large wounds are unlikely to fully close
- Incise between granulation and skin margins and then close the primary wound
How does a wound heal by granulation?
- Closure by granulation
- Disfigurement, incomplete healing and fragile scars can occur with large defects
- Not suitable for some areas
- Aided by moist wound management
What is the classification of a clean wound?
- non-traumatic, non-infected, not inflamed
- no break in aspesis
- no drains used
What is the classification of a clean-contaminated wound?
Clean procedure where a drain is placed
minor break in asepsis
What is the classification of a contaminated wound?
- Non-Purulent traumatic wound
- Major break in asepsis
- Spillage of contents of GIT or urinary bladder
What is the classification of a dirty wound?
- Traumatic wound with purulent discharge, necrotic discharge, or foreign bodies
- Perforated viscous, faecal contamination
What are intrasite hydrogels used for?
Minimally exudative wounds
applies moisture to dry wounds
covered by a semi-occlusive dressing
What is the function of vapour permeable adhesive films?
Maintains a moist envoronment
