Open Wound: Classification

Wounds can be classified as follows:

Mechanically caused wounds

  • Leathering wound
    • Larger areas of skin are separated from the deeper soft tissue layers by applied force (blunt force)
  • Separation wound
    • Incomplete amputation of a body part
  • Bite wound
    • Caused by bites from the animal, but also from humans.
    • The risk of infection is very high (about 85%)
    • Clarify suspected rabies!
  • Burn
    • Caused by thermal action
    • The skin is injured over a wide area, resulting in a break in continuity
    • The classification of the burn injury is made according to the depth of the damage
  • Scratch wound (superficial laceration).
    • The risk of infection is very high
  • Impalement injuries
    • Caused by the penetration of stake-like objects (vertical force).
    • Internal soft tissue injury with perforation of hollow organs (organs of the gastrointestinal tract/gastrointestinal tract, except liver and pancreas (pancreas), heart, lungs, uterus/uterine) is probable
  • Laceration
    • The skin reacts to the applied force (tangential force) by tearing apart.
    • The wound edges are not straight, but usually smooth.
  • Laceration–crush wound (laceration).
    • The skin reacts to the applied force (blunt force) with tear apart.
    • Irregular surface
    • Underlying structures can be injured with (musculature, bones)
  • Incision
    • Caused by a sharp object that interrupts skin continuity (vertical or tangential force)
    • Smooth wound edges
    • Different depth of the wound
  • Abrasion
    • Injury to the superficial skin caused by tangential force.
    • Areal bleeding, which, however, quickly comes to a halt
    • Irregular surface
  • Gunshot wound(bullet through or plug shot).
    • Blunt force
    • Destruction of the soft tissues
    • Irregular surface
    • Foreign bodies and traces of gunshot
  • Stab wound
    • Caused by a narrow and pointed object (vertical force).
    • Here the penetration depth is the main focus; the width of the entry wound is usually narrow
    • Deeper structures such as muscles, nerves, vessels are often injured with

Thermal wounds – due to exposure to heat or cold.

  • Frostbite
  • Burning

Chemical wounds

  • By exposure to alkalis (colliquative necrosis; liquefaction of tissue, leads to deeper damage).
  • By exposure to acids (coagulation necrosis).

Radiation wounds

  • Ionizing wounds (e.g., X-rays).
  • Radioactive isotopes (skin necrosis, radiation ulcer (radiation ulcer)).