Depending on the nature and circumstances of the accident, injury wounds, also called "traumatic wounds", vary considerably in the degree of tissue damage done.
They range from superficial skin lesions to complex defects, which can affect tendons, muscles, nerves, vessels, bones or internal organs. Sometimes, the skin even remains intact and only the layers of tissue and bones beneath the skin are damaged. This is called a "closed wound" – as opposed to an "open wound".
Whether small or large, minor or severe – the more efficiently a wound is treated with first aid, the greater the chances are of it healing successfully.
There are two types of wound treatment, i.e. provisional wound treatment and definitive wound treatment. Provisional wound treatment spans all first aid measures. Depending on the severity of the wound, definitive wound treatment or primary wound treatment is performed by the family doctor, registered surgeons with their own practices or in hospital. Depending on the nature of the injury, the first aider is confronted with the most varied of situations, which all require appropriate action. First aid treatment of smaller skin abrasion wounds or cuts, for example, may already constitute definitive wound treatment.
Generally recognized guidelines for wound treatment
When treating wounds, the following guidelines should, in principle, be heeded:
• When administering first aid treatment, the casualty should lie or sit down and, if the situation allows, the injured part of the body should be kept as still as possible.
• In order to avoid further contamination and infection, wounds and wound sites should not be felt or touched with the hands (e.g. wear disposable gloves).
• As soon as they have been discovered, wounds should be covered with sterile dressing material (e.g. from the first aid box), so as to protect them from further germ contamination and dirt. If sterile dressing material is not available, use a piece of cloth, which should, as far as possible, be ironed (and therefore germ-free).
• Bleeding must eventually be stopped (see haemostasis). The following applies in emergencies: haemostasis is more important than preventing infection!!!
• You should not treat wounds on your own authority with medication, such as powders, sprays or ointments, as this can eventually make the wound more difficult to assess and make painful cleansing thereof necessary.
• Any foreign bodies in the wound must be removed by a physician. If a foreign body is protruding from the wound, it is to be padded for transport of the casualty (see chapter „Foreign bodies“).
• Wounds should be medically assessed and treated within 6 hours.
Tip 1: In principle, there is a risk of tetanus even with the smallest of wounds. That is why adequate vaccine protection is to be strongly recommended.
Tip 2: With the exception of skin abrasion wounds with small surfaces and small cuts, wounds are, in principle, to be examined and treated by a physician.
The aim of first aid treatment is to keep further harmful elements away from the wound.
