How Are Wounds Classified?

Wounds can be classified in different ways to determine what caused them and whether or not they are serious to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Not all wounds are the same and, therefore, they do not have the same treatment. Knowing how to identify them will allow us to treat each wound as you need it to avoid possible infections that will delay its healing.

There are some injuries that we can solve ourselves since their severity is minimal. However, there are many others that need medical attention. Today we are going to discover how wounds are classified and, also, we will see how to take care of them to prevent them from getting worse or becoming infected.

Classification of wounds

We are going to classify the injuries taking into account the type, their severity and what caused them. We can see all these elements with the naked eye to make a reliable diagnosis of what has happened and what needs to be done to treat the injury.

Open or closed

When we make a wound, the first thing we can identify is whether it is open or closed. An open wound involves the soft tissues which are separated due to a cut, for example.

In this case, blood is usually present and if it is very deep, the bone can be seen. Open wounds are very easily infected, requiring immediate attention.

However, there are other types of wounds, closed ones. In these there is no blood, no cuts, or any kind of separation in the skin. We are talking about blows that produce bruises or bruises, for example.

The bleeding that occurs does not come out and collects under the skin. Depending on the injury, it can be life-threatening.

Simple or complicated

Another type of classification of wounds is made according to their severity. A cut involving tendons is not the same as a simple scratch. Therefore, we must pay attention to the 2 types of wounds that we are going to see below:

• Simple : they affect only the skin and do not harm other parts of the body. They are very superficial wounds that do not have any health risk, such as a scratch on an arm or a bruise on the leg.
• Complicated : they are deep, open wounds that usually present significant bleeding. In some cases, tendons, blood vessels, and even internal organs are involved. These types of wounds must be treated immediately by a professional as they require stitches.

Causes of injuries

The last of the wound classifications refers to the cause of the injury. In these cases, it is necessary to pay attention to whether it has been a sharp, lacerating or cutting object. We can even attend to whether the injury was caused by a firearm.

Depending on the object, the injury will be more or less serious. For example, a sharp object often leaves a bleeding hole that may or may not require immediate medical attention. The same happens if we burn our skin.

In these cases, it is necessary to pay attention to whether the burns are first or second degree. In the event that the injury we have was caused by a firearm, this requires urgent medical attention.

How to care for wounds?

All the injuries that we have talked about according to their classification require special care. For example, when faced with an abrasion on the skin, it is important to let the skin breathe. The reason is that in many occasions when putting a gauze or a bandage on top it can get stuck.

In the same way, regardless of the type of wound that we have done, it must be treated. It can be with betadine or povidone, hydrogen peroxide or antibiotic creams that the doctor can prescribe. If a wound is not treated, is not washed well, and is not cared for, it can become infected.

We must not overlook even a small cut. The risk of infections is quite high if we do not disinfect and protect injuries. If we have doubts about how to do it properly, we can ask our trusted doctor what steps we should take.

Wounds must be healed properly

Did you know the way wounds were classified? Do you usually know how to treat them properly? Have you ever been infected with one? We encourage you, from now on, to pay attention to your injuries in order to know how to take care of them in the most appropriate way.