First Aid for Open Wounds

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If the wound is in an inconspicuous location, is not deep, and gapes slightly, the first-aider may find that he need only hold the wound edges together and dress and bandage the injury. At times, however, it may be difficult for the first-aider to decide whether a wound needs medical care. He may ask himself, for example, whether it will need suturing by a physician.

Example of Open-wound condition that require medical treatment :

• Blood spurting from a wound even if controlled initially by first aid.
• Bleeding that persists despite all efforts to control it.
• An incised wound deeper than the outer layer of skin.
• Any laceration, deep puncture or avulsion.
• Severed or crushed nerve, tendon, or muscle.
• Laceration of the face or other parts of the body where scar tissues would be noticeable after healing.
• Skin broken by a bite, human or animal.
• Heavy contamination of a wound by soil or organic fertilizer (manure).
• Foreign object embedded deep in the tissue.
• Foreign matter in a wound, not possible to remove by washing.
• Any other open-wound situation in which there is doubt about what to do.

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• Types & Causes of Open Wounds A wound is a break in the continuity of a tissue of the body, either internal or external. Wounds are classified as open or closed. An open wound is a break in the skin or in a mucous membrane. A closed wound involves underlying tissues without a break in the skin or a mucous membrane. Causes Wounds
• Closed Wounds External forces, such as falls and motor vehicle accidents, cause most closed wounds. May closed wounds are relatively small and involve soft tissues; the black eye is an example: Others, however, involve fractures of the limbs, spine, or skill and damage to vital organs within the skull, chest, or abdomen. Massive injury to soft
• Techniques to Stop Severe Bleeding Direct pressure Severe bleeding of an open wound can usually be controlled by pressing with the palm of one hand to compress of cloth over the entire area of the wound. A thick pad of sterile gauzes is preferable, but any soft clean cloth can be used in an emergency. Ever unclean material can be used,
• Severe Bleeding Loss of more than a quart of blood is a threat to a person’s survival. Hemorrhage from the aorta or from combined external and internal injuries may be so rapid and extensive that the victim dies almost immediately. The loss of blood in some other kinds of wounds such as the partial or complete severing
• Types of Surgery Surgery is a medical technology consisting of a physical intervention on tissues. As a general rule, a procedure is considered surgical when it involves cutting of a patient’s tissues or closure of a previously sustained wound. Other procedures that do not necessarily fall under this rubric, such as angioplasty or endoscopy, may be considered