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There are two types of wounds: the visible ones produced by a cut or a fall and the wounds caused by hits, which don’t show immediately external signs. |
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There are two types of wounds: the visible ones produced by a cut or a fall and the wounds caused by hits, which don’t show immediately external signs. The gravity of each one of them depends on their location and deepness.
We can say that there are three groups of wounds:
- incisive, caused by cutting objects, they have clean, regular borders.
- contusive, caused by knocks with blunt objects and have irregular borders.
- sharp wounds, which are caused by sharp objects. Generally, they bleed very little but there is an impending risk of infection.
The aggression of the element that caused the wound can reach the blood vessels (arteries, veins or capillaries), which cause an haemorrhage when they are broken; the nerves, which when they are cut can make the movement of a limb impossible; the bones; or the internal organs, which can cause serious complications.
The treatment of severe wounds must include measures to prevent or reduce the possible shock.
General Measures
First of all and before disinfecting the wound, it’s important to wash your hands with water and soap.
The materials to be used in the procedure must be sterile. In case you don’t have it, the necessary elements must be boiled for twenty minutes, or flamed with an alcohol flame.
The strange objects must be extracted without poking the wound. It is also necessary to eliminate hairs and dead skin before washing the wound with water and soap to disinfect it with an antiseptic later. If the wound bleeds, peroxide can be poured on it. It’s important to remember never to apply cotton or ointments directly on the wound.
When the wound is serious, you must use a bandage and immediately request medical help. Mild wounds, on the other side, must be left uncovered because ultraviolet rays help to heal it. If the wound suppurates, it must be cured with an alcohol solution in boiled water.
It’s important to remember that as a consequence of severe wounds and the psychological impact suffered by the patient, he is likeable to suffer a shock. In order to lessen it and even prevent it, the patient must lie with his head on one side and his legs elevated about thirty centimetres. If the person is unconscious, he must be put in the lateral safety position, that is to say, face down, with the head turned to one side and the leg and arm of the same side folded. The arm and leg of the other side of the body must be extended.
It’s advisable to loosen the clothes of the patient and cover him with a blanket or a coat with the aim to avoid a loss of heat. The patient mustn’t eat or drink anything. It’s essential to try to calm him and make him feel as comfortable as possible.
Any type of hit on the head can cause an haemorrhage inside the skull. For that reason it is necessary to be on the alert for several symptoms, such as headache, dilated pupils, vomit or loss of consciousness. In these cases, the person must be immediately taken to hospital.
HOW TO ACT
Head wounds
- Watch out for changes in the size of the pupils and check if they react to light.
- Put the patient in the lateral safety position and take him immediately to hospital in case he looses consciousness.
- If the person is conscious, keep him lying with the head inclined to one side so as to avoid the inhalation of blood or vomit. Keep the patient warm.
Wounds in the eyes
- Don’t remove the objects that may be stuck in the eyes.
- It’s advisable to bandage both eyes so as to reduce ocular movements and take the wounded person directly to the hospital.
Wounds in the ears
- Don’t remove the objects that are inside the ears.
- In case of haemorrhage, cover the ears with a sterile lint and bandage them.
- Take the patient to the hospital.
Wounds in the thorax
- Wounds in the thorax might be more complicated since they may be followed by cough, spittle, respiratory problems and risk of a shock.
- The first thing to do is to prevent air from entering in the wound through a waterproof bandage, compress or dressing. If you don’t have any of these elements put your hand on the wound until the doctors arrive.
- Don’t give the patient anything to drink.
- Keep the patient warm and take him to the hospital lying.
Abdominal injuries
These injuries can be very serious since they can cause injuries in the internal organs (like intestines, kidneys, liver), internal haemorrhages or peritonitis. In some cases, they may be followed by spine and pelvis fractures. Pain and lost of consciousness, which can appear hours after the wound was produced, are some of the symptoms of abdominal wounds. These are the steps to follow in these cases:
- Don’t give anything to drink to the patient.
- Bandage the wound so as to prevent the internal organs from moving.
- If the internal organs are out of the abdomen, don’t touch them and don’t put them back inside.
- Take the patient to the hospital immediately and remember that he must be lying face up and with the legs flexed. |
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