Each of us in life has had to deal with wounds. From very early childhood, babies knock down their knees, and in adulthood we often have to deal with injuries - some are akin to knees knocked down, and others are much more serious.
The topic of our article will be wounds, types of wounds, first aid, which should be provided immediately. We will tell you about how to act in the event of bleeding, because all these rules must be known to every person.
Wound and its types
First, a few words about what a wound is. In medicine, it is considered as damage, with a violation of the integrity of the skin, mucous membranes and with possible damage to deep tissues. In this case, there is pain, bleeding and divergence of the edges of the wound.
These injuries can be caused by accident or by surgery. In addition, by nature they can be penetrating, which is very dangerous, or non-penetrating, that is, superficial.
Depending on how the wound was inflicted and what subject, they are divided into:
- chipped;
- cut;
- chopped;
- bruised;
- torn;
- bitten;
But no matter what type of damage these will be, improperly rendered first aid for a wound can provoke the development of a wound infection. Damage to the deep layers of tissues and internal organs is especially dangerous. Therefore, first aid for wounds should be carried out with the mandatory observance of certain rules. This will help to avoid complications.
General First Aid Rules
First aid for a wound should be provided immediately. The faster the damage is treated with an antiseptic, the fewer microorganisms in it will be, which will contribute to faster healing. So:
- The very first rule when treating a wound: hands should be clean and treated with an antiseptic in the first aid provider.
- If there is bleeding, first of all it is necessary to stop it. We will talk about this a bit later.
- If there are foreign objects in the wound, they should be removed by the doctor. To do this, you will have to visit the nearest hospital.
- For treatment, it is best to use an antiseptic that does not contain alcohol, so that it does not cause additional irritation or burns. A great option is hydrogen peroxide.
- Means containing alcohol must treat the area around the wound. To do this, you can use an alcoholic solution of iodine or a solution of diamond greens.
- After treatment, the wound must be closed with a sterile swab. This can be antiseptic-treated tissue or a sterile bandage.
- If the wound is caused by a bite of an animal, especially a poisonous or sick one, you should immediately consult a doctor.
First aid for a wound has some features depending on the type of damage.
Bruises, cuts, and puncture wounds
First aid for cuts, bruises and chopped wounds is to stop bleeding.
With puncture wounds, a small area of the skin is damaged, but penetration can be quite deep. Therefore, the risk of infection is very high. If the cause is a rusty nail or a sharp, dirty object, of course, after treatment with an antiseptic and applying a bandage, you should see a doctor.
Wounds received from bruises should be examined by a doctor, you may have to remove damaged tissue areas.
A cut wound, of course, will have a divergence of edges. It is also better to consult a doctor with her. Since it may be necessary to remove the damaged tissue and close the wound with staples, sutures, although it may be enough and adhesive tape.
First aid for incised wounds is to stop bleeding and treatment. It is necessary to contact a medical institution if emergency tetanus prophylaxis is needed. Since most often these are damages received at personal plots during earthworks.
Cream "ARGOSULFAN ® " promotes the healing of abrasions and small wounds. The combination of the antibacterial component of silver sulfathiazole and silver ions helps to provide a wide range of antibacterial action of the cream. You can apply the drug not only to wounds located in open areas of the body, but also under dressings. The tool has not only a wound healing, but also an antimicrobial effect, and in addition, promotes wound healing without a rough scar 1 .
Assisting with gunshot wounds
A gunshot injury is a very serious and dangerous type of wound. First aid for injuries, timely provided, can save a person's life. Therefore, it is very important to act correctly in this situation.
A penetrating wound usually affects the internal organs. Of course, there will be bleeding. The first action should be to stop it. Then it is necessary to close the wound and ensure complete rest while the victim is being delivered to the hospital.
It is forbidden to remove fragments of ammunition from a wound!
First aid for bite wounds
Bites of animals, insects and reptiles are quite common. This is one of the most dangerous types of wounds, as animals, for example, have a very large number of microbes on their teeth and in their mouths. But the bites of poisonous snakes and spiders are especially dangerous. In such cases, the main thing is to provide first aid as quickly as possible and deliver the victim to a medical facility.
If this is a bee sting, it is necessary to carefully remove the sting, then treat the place of the bite with an antiseptic. In this case, it is better to choose the one that contains alcohol.
If a poisonous snake bites, it is necessary to close the wound with a sterile dressing and urgently deliver the victim to the hospital. Doctors recommend applying ice to the site of the bite and bandaging the limb with a tourniquet so that the poison does not have the ability to quickly spread throughout the body.
No matter what type of wound, it can bleed heavily. In this case, it is necessary to stop the bleeding before further assistance. We will talk about this later.
First aid for bleeding
Bleeding, as a rule, occurs with any damage to the tissues of our body. This is the process of pouring blood from a ruptured vessel. It can be capillary, venous or arterial.
With deep wounds, arterial bleeding can occur, and it is the most dangerous.
First aid in this case consists in applying a tourniquet or twist. It is imposed above the wound, so as to squeeze a bleeding vessel. In this case, the limb must be raised and several turns made. Bleeding should stop.
It is necessary to indicate the time of application of the tourniquet and weaken it every 20 minutes until blood circulation is restored. The tourniquet can be applied no more than 1.5 hours in the warm season or 1 hour in the winter. During this time, the victim must be sent to the hospital.
Venous bleeding occurs when the walls of the veins are damaged, it can be stopped by raising the limb and bending it as much as possible in the joint. A sterile, compressive dressing will be sufficient. A tourniquet for venous bleeding is prohibited.
Capillary bleeding can also be stopped by applying a sterile, pressure dressing. Sometimes it’s enough to treat the wound and use a band-aid.
How to provide first aid to a child
Children quite often knock down their knees and manage to get hurt. Therefore, we consider how first aid is provided to a child:
- Minor abrasions and scratches can be washed with running boiled water and laundry soap.
- If the abrasion is deep, wash it with "Hydrogen Peroxide" 3%.
- It is absolutely necessary to treat the area around the wound with brilliant green or iodine.
- It is better to cover deep damage after treatment with a sterile dressing or bactericidal patch.
- If the wound is not deep and does not bleed, you can not apply a bandage. She will be able to “breathe” and heal faster.
If bleeding does not stop, apply a tourniquet and consult a doctor.
What can not be done with a wound
There are several prohibitions when first aid is provided for wounds:
- Do not pour antiseptics containing alcohol into the wound. Such as iodine, a solution of diamond greens, cologne, vodka or a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Do not wash the wound with water, cover with powders or apply ointment.
- It is not recommended to put cotton on the wound, it can cause the spread of infection.
- Doctors do not advise and independently remove foreign objects from it.
When to hurry to the doctor
Any wound can not be ignored, so be sure to consult a specialist if:
- bitten by a dog or other animal, especially poisonous;
- there is a foreign body in the wound;
- quite a long time, bleeding cannot stop;
- the wound is very deep and does not heal for a long time;
- the injured place began to fester;
- overall deteriorated
- if the wound is on the head or in the mouth.
Be mindful of your health. If you get tissue damage, first aid should be provided as soon as possible. The treatment of the wound will contribute to its rapid healing. A timely visit to a doctor, in case of serious injury, will maintain health.