Giving emergency wound care and

dressing
• Wound: - It is a break in the continuity of the
tissue of the body allowing the blood to
escape and the germs to enter.
• Classification of wound:-Wound can be
classified based on different characteristics;
• Based on The degree of cleanliness
– Clean wound: - a wound which is formed
deliberately by using a relatively clean or sterile
instrument. E.g. surgical wounds
– Clean contaminated wound: - a wound performed
deliberately but located around dirty unclean areas
of the body. E.g. surgical wound around the mouth,
respiratory area, anal area, genital area…
– Contaminated wound:- a wound created by
accidents with relatively un clean materials
– Septic wound/ infected wound:- any wound which
is infected or forms an abscess or shows signs of
infection; presence of pus, localized fever, swelling,
offensive smell.
Based on appearance and extent
1. Abrasion
• The outer layer of the protective skin is damaged
• Usually resulted when the skin is scraped against a
hard surface
• Bleeding is limited
• Danger of infection is high
2. Incision
• Occurs when the body tissue is cut on sharp objects
like knives, broken glasses
• Bleeding may be rapid and heavy
• Muscles, tendons and nerves may be damaged
 3.Laceration
• It is jagged, irregular or blunt breaking or tearing of the soft
tissue
• Occurs when great force is exerted against the body.
• Bleeding may be rapid and extensive
• Danger of infection is high
4. Puncture
– Produced by an object piercing skin layers, creating a
small hole in the tissue; like bullet injury, pins, nails etc…
– External bleeding is usually quite limited but internal
tissue damage may cause internal bleeding
– The danger of infection is high because of limited flushing
action of bleeding
– Tetanus may develop
 5. Avulsion
• Results when tissue is forcibly separated or torn off
from the victims body mostly in accidents such as
motor vehicle, explosions and animal bites/human
bits
• Bleeding will be heavy and rapid
• An avulsed body part may be reattached to a victims
body by surgery, so send the body part along with the
victim to hospital
 6. Contusion
• Result from blunt injuries that cause extravasation
of blood.
• When viewed through the skin, such blood looks
“black and blue”
• Although most contusions are minor and resolve
with local treatments, some contusions can cause
large painful hematomas
• Common causes of wound
– Usually external physical forces like falling
accident, vehicle accident, handling sharp objects,
machineries, fighting cases
– Disease process, burns
 Making dressing for a clean wound

• Dressing: - It is the immediate protective

cover placed over a wound. Dressing can be: -
– Adhesive dressing; which consists a gauze or
cellulose pad and an adhesive backing used to
dress small cuts and grazes
– Non-adhesive dressing; which is used to dress
large wounds
 Purpose of wound dressing
– To control bleeding
– To prevent contamination
– To relieve pain
– To absorb blood and wound secretions
 Precautions in making wound dressing

• Use strict sterile technique

• Remove any tissue debris or discharge while
cleaning
• Identify any history of allergy for the cleansing
solution
• Observe the pt’s reaction through out the procedure
(fainting or shock may occur)
• Check the distal part of the dressing for swelling,
numbness or tell the patient to report any unusual
feeling