Page 104 - Participant Manual

Signs and Symptoms of Closed Wounds

The area may appear red or purple, and there may be swelling. The bruised area is often painful.

First Aid Care for Closed Wounds

Applying a cold pack to the bruised area can
help to decrease the bleeding and reduce pain
and swelling. To make a cold pack, fill a sealable
plastic bag with a mixture of ice and water. Before
applying the cold pack to the person’s skin, wrap
it in a thin, dry towel to protect the skin from injury.
Hold the cold pack in place for no more than 20
minutes, and then wait at least 20 minutes before
applying the cold pack again. If the person is not
able to tolerate a 20-minute application, apply
the cold pack for periods of 10 minutes on and
off. Elevating the injured area may help to reduce
swelling, but do not elevate the injured area if
doing so causes pain.

Open Wounds

In an open wound, the skin’s surface is broken and blood may come through the tear in the skin, resulting in
external bleeding (bleeding that is visible on the outside of the body).

Types of Open Wounds

The four main types of open wounds are abrasions, lacerations, avulsions and puncture wounds (Figure 6-1).

■ An abrasion occurs when something rubs vessels and tendons. If nerves are damaged, the
roughly against the skin, causing damage to the laceration may not be painful. Bleeding may be
skin’s surface. You may hear abrasions referred heavy or there may be none at all.
to as “scrapes,” “rug burns,” “road rash,” or “turf
burns.” If you have ever had an abrasion, you ■ An avulsion occurs when a portion of the skin,
know how painful these injuries can be! This is and sometimes the underlying tissue, is partially
because scraping of the outer skin layers exposes or completely torn away. Avulsions are commonly
sensitive nerve endings. Abrasions are shallow caused by animal bites. Elderly people are also
wounds that do not bleed much. However, susceptible to avulsion wounds as a result of a
because of the mechanism of injury (usually a fall or other trauma because their skin is fragile
sliding fall), abrasions are often contaminated and tears easily. Avulsion wounds often cause
with dirt and debris. To remove the dirt and significant bleeding.
debris, rinse the abrasion thoroughly with running
water, and then wash the area with soap and ■ A puncture wound occurs when a pointed
water to lower the risk for infection. object, such as a nail or an animal’s tooth,
pierces the skin. A gunshot wound is also a
■ A laceration is a cut, commonly caused by a puncture wound. Puncture wounds do not bleed © 2011, 2016 The American National Red Cross. All rights reserved.
sharp object such as broken glass or a knife. A much unless a blood vessel has been injured.
laceration can also occur when blunt force splits They carry a high risk for infection because the
the skin. Deep lacerations may extend through penetrating object can carry pathogens deep
layers of fat and muscle, damaging nerves, blood into the body’s tissues.

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