Initial assessment of the wound
- Recognizing that the condition of the wound edge is flat, the healing process takes place quickly, but if the wound is jagged, it is likely that the two edges of the wound will be difficult to close.
- New wounds that progress to heal better than old or other injuries will also make the wound more susceptible to infection, lower resistance as well as prolong healing. love.
- The location of the wound on the body will also be very important because the area will have more blood to nourish, the area will be clean, the possibility of infection is less and the more blood is supplied, the healing time will be shortened.
- The patient’s good condition will also help the wound to heal quickly, and the obese or malnourished people will also affect the ability of the wound to heal, often poor wound healing. Patients with comorbidities: diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, the risk of suture rupture will occur and slow down the healing process.
Wound care process
- Removal of foreign body or tissue : any wound will have the presence of bacteria, so removing the bruised tissue, removing the hematoma, foreign body is cutting off the supply. food for bacteria; Always keep the wound in a sterile state, to avoid bringing in new bacteria.
- Expanding the wound with good drainage : stagnation of fluid – old blood – foreign body, etc. will provide a food source for bacteria. Fluid stasis renders the wound tissue incapable of granulomatous proliferation. Therefore, it is necessary to drain the fluid very well to stimulate the growth of granulomatous tissues to help accelerate the wound healing process.
- Helps wounds heal :
– Any wound will have a protective barrier, so when taking care of the wound, we must not destroy that protective barrier such as: avoid injuring the surrounding skin of the wound, do not touch the wound. , regularly changing the dressing with incorrect technique such as: removing the old dressing is also a form of additional damage to the granulomatous tissue that has just formed and thus we have also created a new wound for the patient.
– The antiseptic solution when used is also a barrier to protect against bacteria entering, but it will also have the risk of damaging the granulomatous tissue, so do not use strong or inappropriate antiseptic solutions to apply. wound without a doctor’s prescription.
– The wound will always exude fluid, so keeping the wound moist is necessary but not excessively wetting the wound, so it is necessary to monitor the wound daily and change the dressing when wet.
Wound care
Wound dressing:
- The wound dressing is to help create a suitable environment for the wound healing process because the dressing is very good at absorbing fluid, helping to protect the wound from external impact and injury.
- The wound dressing will also help protect the wound from being attacked by the external environment such as dust, foreign objects, polluted air.
- In addition, when the wound is closed, it also helps to stop bleeding when the bandage / splint immobilizes the wound, and above all, the wound dressing will often give the patient a greater sense of security.
- Changing a new dressing is also a way to prevent new tissue from growing deep into the old dressing, when removing the dressing can create a new wound on the newly formed granulation tissue.
- Wounds that are too wet or too dry can slow healing, so dressing the wound will help maintain proper moisture on the surface of the wound.
No wound dressing:
- Not dressing the wound is also very beneficial for the wound as it eliminates the conditions that allow bacteria to grow (moist, warm, dark). With a wound without a bandage, it will also help us observe and monitor the progress of the wound easily, easier to clean and wash.
- Improperly changing/removing the bandage also risks creating more wounds for the patient, so not changing the bandage will avoid further damage as well as avoid adhesive allergy and save bandages, solutions …
Wound cleaning technique:
- Wash the wound in a straight line starting from the top to the bottom and work from the inside out, from the cuts in a straight line running parallel to the wound.
- Always wash the wound from clean to less clean areas and use cotton swabs/gauze for each downward wiping.
- For an open wound, when moistening the gauze with a cleaning agent and wringing out excess solution, wash the wound with 1-2 circles or the whole circle moving from the center to the outside. . The wound should be washed at least 2.5cm past the end of the new gauze or 5cm past the edge of the old wound. Choose a gauze pad that is soft enough to touch the wound surface.
- It is recommended to use solutions that do not harm body tissues and do not interfere with wound healing. The gauze can be synthetic or cotton (cotton is more commonly used because it has large crevices, helps retain moisture, and is suitable for many types of wounds).