Prepography

Andrew’s Note:  Today we present the final article in this week’s series on Wound Care from our Military Pedagogy series.  These discussions, are from U.S. Army Subcourse MD0576, Wound Care [Approved For Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited].  Today’s article discusses Wound Care for Specific Types of Wounds.  It’s important to note that military first aid and field medicine focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients and moving them rapidly to the rear for further treatment. Needless to say, seek professional medical care immediately in the event of illness or injury and take action yourself only if you have been properly trained. 

Abrasion

(1)    Description. Friction or scraping causes an abraded wound or an abrasion. This type of wound is superficial. The outer layers of skin or mucous membrane have been damaged or scraped off. A person falling on his knees on a sidewalk will suffer an abrasion.

(2)    Treatment. Treat as follows:

(a)    Irrigate the wound as previously stated.

(b)    Apply antibiotic ointment such as bacitracin.

(c)    Cover the wound with a dry, sterile dressing.

Contusion

(1)    Description. A contusion or contused wound occurs as a result of a blow from a blunt instrument, such as a hammer. There is no break in the skin.

(2)    Treatment. First apply cold compresses for 12 hours. Pad the affected area and wrap an ace bandage around the area snugly.  If the area is on an arm or leg, elevate the arm or leg. Use R.I.C.E.–Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Puncture/Perforation Continue reading →

Andrew’s Note:  Today we present the first of a new set of lessons from our Military Pedagogy series.  These discussions, are from U.S. Army Subcourse MD0576, Wound Care [Approved For Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited].  Today’s article expands our previous wound discussions and extends our discuss General Wound Care.  It’s important to note that military first aid and field medicine focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients and moving them rapidly to the rear for further treatment. Needless to say, seek professional medical care immediately in the event of illness or injury and take action yourself only if you have been properly trained.

Immediate Care

Initially, control the bleeding from the wound. Nature usually stops bleeding. For example, a person cuts his finger. Blood will gush from the lacerated blood vessels. These vessels constrict which tends to lessen the bleeding. The clotting process also stops bleeding. When blood escapes from an artery or vein, the blood undergoes changes which cause it to clot. The blood clot seals off the injured blood vessels, and bleeding stops. If the wound is large or clotting does not occur, apply direct pressure over the wound to stop bleeding. Use sterile pads if possible, but if they are not available, use a handkerchief, clean cloth, or even a bare hand as a last resort. Then, check the entire body for injuries. Continue reading →

Andrew’s Note:  Today we present the another article in our Military Pedagogy series drawn from U.S. Army Subcourse MD0576, Wound Care [Approved For Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited].  Today’s article builds on our previous discussions of Wound Terminology  and Wound Healing and Complications by discussing Physiological Responses to Injury.  As we’ve previously discussed, military first aid and field medicine focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients and moving them rapidly to the rear for further treatment. Needless to say, seek professional medical care immediately in the event of illness or injury and take action yourself only if you have been properly trained.  This series focusing on first aid will run through the weekend and we’ll start Monday with a guest author who’s written an article I’m really excited about.

Physiological Responses to Injury

Once the skin and tissue have been injured, the process of healing begins.  Many factors influence the body’s ability to grow new tissue.

Age. Very young and very old people heal more slowly than those in other age groups. People in these age groups have less ability to fight infection, and fighting infection is a major part of the healing process. The endocrine functions in infants are sluggish, and infants have limited reserves of fat, glycogen, and extracellular water–all which are necessary to fight infection. Healing is slower in the elderly because cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal functions may be slowed down by chronic disease or perhaps just by the wearing out of body parts. Continue reading →

Andrew’s Note:  Today we present the another article in our Military Pedagogy series drawn from U.S. Army Subcourse MD0576, Wound Care [Approved For Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited].  Today’s article builds on yesterday’s article on Wound Terminology by discussing Wound Healing and Complications.  It’s important to note that military first aid and field medicine focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients and moving them rapidly to the rear for further treatment. Needless to say, seek professional medical care immediately in the event of illness or injury and take action yourself only if you have been properly trained.  This series focusing on first aid will run through the weekend and we’ll start Monday with a guest author who’s written an article I’m really excited about.

Wound Healing

Wound healing is a complicated process. A wound is a break in the continuity of tissue. The body must have a special procedure to take care of the skin injury and dead tissue. The injured area must be able to signal distress, and there must be some way to get rid of the dead cells and replace them with new cells.  The process of wound healing is a way of restoring living tissue so that the entire body is covered with skin.

(1)    The body’s first response to cell damage is inflammation. The reaction is similar regardless of the cause–cut, burn, bruise, or pinch. The injury starts a reaction which may be the release from the dead or injured cells of one of their substances such as histamine. The released substances affect the capillaries. The capillaries dilate, widely increasing the blood supply that they can bring to the injured area. If the injury takes place in the skin or in the tissue close to the skin, the increased amount of blood in that area causes the area to look red. Because the injured area has a greater blood supply than the surrounding area, the wound site is warm to the touch. Continue reading →

Andrew’s Note:  Today we present the first of a new set of lessons from our Military Pedagogy series.  These discussions, are from U.S. Army Subcourse MD0576, Wound Care [Approved For Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited].  Today’s article lays the foundation by explaining Wound Terminology.  It’s important to note that military first aid and field medicine focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients and moving them rapidly to the rear for further treatment. Needless to say, seek professional medical care immediately in the event of illness or injury and take action yourself only if you have been properly trained.

Definitions:

A wound is a break in the continuity of the skin, the break caused by violence or trauma to the tissue. A wound may be open or closed. In a closed wound or bruise, the soft tissue below the skin surface is damaged, but there is no break in the skin. In an open wound, the surface of the skin is broken. Here are some terms referring to wounds that you should become familiar with.

Abrasion

(1)  Abrasion. In this type of wound, the outer layers of skin or mucous membrane are rubbed or scraped off (figure 1-1).

 Incision

(2)  Incised. This type of wound is cut smooth and straight. The rate of bleeding varies and there is minimal contamination. A surgeon makes this type of wound (incision).

Laceration

(3)  Laceration. This wound is a torn, jagged cut which has gone through the skin tissues and blood vessels (figure 1-2). The wound can be made by blunt instruments such as shell fragments. Lacerations are usually very dirty.

Puncture

(4)  Puncture. A puncture wound (figure 1-3) is made by a sharp object such as a splinter, knife, nail, or some other pointed object. These wounds bleed very little although the object may pass through nerves, bones, and organs, causing internal damage. Puncture wounds are usually very dirty.

Perforation

(5)  Perforating. A perforating wound is one in which there is an entrance and/or an exit. Such a wound might be made by a bullet.

Mutilation

(6)  Mutilating. This is the term for wounds which result in disfigurement or loss of a body part.

Contusion

(7)  Contusion. This wound is caused by a blunt object. The damage is done to underlying tissues or organs, and the wound is closed with no broken skin (figure 1-4).

Andrew’s Note:  Subscribe or check back as we expand this discussion to Wound Care, Physiological Wound Responses, as well as General and Specific Wound Treatment.  First Aid is an important component of the Personal Health Preparedness Function.