Wound Care
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Wound Care
Wounds include cuts, scrapes, scratches [1] and punctured skin. They often occur as a result of an
accident or injury, but sugical incisions, sutures and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds
usually aren't serious, but even cuts and scrapes require care. To avoid infection and aid healing:
Apply pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding
Clean the wound with water and/or saline
Use an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
Bandage the wound if it is in an area that might get infected
Watch for swelling and redness
Serious and infected wounds require medical attention. You should also seek attention if the wound
is deep, if you cannot close it yourself, if you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or if it
does not heal.
We offer a wide range of avanced wound care products to aid in your at home recovery
Advanced Wound Care
Basic Wound Care
Alginate
Abdominal Pads
Foam Dressings
Adhesive Bandages
Hydrocolloid
Compression / Elastic Bandages
Hydrogel
Self-Adherent Compression
Island Dressings
Conforming Bandage
Transparent Film Dressings
Cotton / Gauze Sponges
Wet/Moist Non-Adherent Dressings
Eye Pads
Active Wound Care
Wound Cleansers
Antimicrobial Wound Care
Gauze / Cotton Bandages, Rolls & Dressings
Moist Wound Care
Non-Woven Sponges
Non-adherent Dressings
Tapes
Antimicrobial Dressings
Wound Closures
Cover Dressings
Applicators
Adhesive Dressings
Ointments
Wound Management System
Sterile Packing Strips
Diganostic Devices
Wound Measurement
Glossary of Terms for Wound Care
Abrasion
Wearing away of the skin through some mechanical process
(friction or trauma)
Abscess
Accumulation of pus formed in tissue as a result of infection
Alginate
A highly absorptive dressing derived from brown seaweed
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Wound Care
Published on The Medical Supply Store
(http://www.themedicalsupplystore.ca)
Cellulitis
Inflammation of the tissues indicating a local infection; characterized by r
tenderness
Collagen
Main supportive protein of the skin and connective tissue
Debridement
Removal of foreign material and devitalized or contaminated tissue from a
Dehiscence
Separation of wound edges
Denude
Removal or loss of superficial skin layers
Edema
Swelling
Epidermis
Outermost layer of the skin
Erythema
Diffuse redness of the skin
Eschar
Thick, leathery black crust; it is nonviable tissue and is colonized with bac
Excoriation
Linear scratches on the skin
Exudate
Wound fluid or drainage
Friction
Rubbing that causes mechanical trauma to the skin
Full-thickness
Tissue destruction extending through the dermis to involve subcutaneous
muscle, fascia, or bone
Granulation
Formation of connective tissue and many new capillaries in a full-thicknes
appears as red and cobblestoned
Hydrocolloid
Dressing
A category of wound dressings composed of materials, such as gelatine, p
carboxymethylcellulose, that provide a moist healing environment and ad
the wound
Hydrogel
Water or glycerine-based gels, impregnated gauzes or sheet dressings. H
healing environment and absorb a minimal amount of wound exudates
Hydrophilic
Attracting moisture
Infection
Overgrowth of microorganisms in sufficient quantities to overwhelm the b
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Wound Care
Published on The Medical Supply Store
(http://www.themedicalsupplystore.ca)
Maceration
Softening of tissue by soaking in fluids
Necrotic
Devitalized tissue, may appear yellow and moist, gray, or dark and leathe
Partial-Thickness
Wounds that extend through the epidermis and may involve the dermis; t
re-epithelialization
Peri-Wound
The area immediately around the wound
Pus
Thick fluid composed of leukocytes, bacteria, and cellular debris
Shear
Sliding of the skin over subcutaneous tissues and bones obstructing cutan
may lead to ischemia
Sinus
Tract
A course or pathway which can extend in any direction from the wound ba
space with potential for abscess formation
Slough
Stringy, necrotic tissue, usually yellow, tan, gray, green or brown
Strip
Removal of epidermis by mechanical means, usually tape
Ulcer
Loss of epidermis/dermis or mucous membrane with defined margins
Undermine
Skin edges of a wound that have lost supporting tissue under intact skin
Wound
A break in the integrity of the skin; injury to the body which causes a dis
continuity of the body structures
Wound
Margin
Rim or border of a wound
Source URL: http://www.themedicalsupplystore.ca/content/wound-care
Links:
[1] http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/after-injury/041.printerview.html
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