Generality
The disinfection of wounds is a very important tool to prevent potentially pathogenic micro-organisms from entering the body, causing damage, sometimes even very serious.
Types of Injuries
To properly treat a wound, it is important to be able to determine the severity of the injury and behave accordingly.
Depending on the severity of the wound, we can distinguish:
- Superficial wounds, when they involve only the superficial layers of the skin, as happens, for example, in the case of excoriations and small cuts;
- Deep wounds, when the lacerations also affect the underlying layers of the skin;
- Penetrating wounds, when the lacerations are so deep that they also damage the internal organs.
Superficial wounds can be treated at home, taking appropriate measures and precautions.
As regards deep and penetrating wounds, however, it is necessary to contact the doctor or go to the nearest emergency room, where the injured patient will receive all the necessary care. In fact, in this type of wounds - in addition to the potential risk of infection - a huge blood loss can also occur, which can also be associated with damage to vital structures or organs. For this reason, the intervention of personnel specialized in this kind of situation is absolutely essential.
Another classification of wounds can be made according to the object that caused them and which also determines their appearance. In this case, we can therefore distinguish:
- Pointy wounds;
- Cutting wounds;
- Lacerated and contused wounds.
In turn, such wounds can then be distinguished as superficial, deep or penetrating.
How to Disinfect a Wound
To eliminate the risk of contracting infections and to promote proper healing, the wound disinfection process must be performed scrupulously and with the appropriate products.
Since, as mentioned, in the case of deep and penetrating wounds, the intervention of specialized personnel is required, below are some indications concerning only the disinfection of superficial wounds, such as abrasions, abrasions, cuts or small tears.
First of all, the first thing to do is to worry about cleaning the wound from any foreign bodies that may have penetrated into it; after that, you can proceed with the actual disinfection.
For a correct treatment of superficial wounds, it would be good to follow these guidelines:
- Before proceeding with any type of operation on the wound, it is very important to wash your hands thoroughly and possibly wear latex gloves or suitable material.
- Clean the wound and remove any foreign bodies that may have entered it, such as, for example, residues of earth or wood splinters or other material, depending on what caused the wound and how this happened.
Foreign bodies can be removed by directly exposing the wound to a drinking water jet, or tweezers can be used, provided they have been previously sterilized.
Wound cleansing can be performed by simply washing with drinking water.
- Disinfect the area around the wound with the aid of antiseptics for disinfection of intact skin, such as, for example, preparations based on ethyl alcohol or propyl alcohol .
- Disinfect the wound using antiseptics for the disinfection of injured skin, such as hydrogen peroxide, iodopovidone (Betadine®) or chlorhexidine (Clorexane® 0.5% skin solution).
The hydrogen peroxide, in addition to having a disinfectant action - thanks to the natural "effervescence" that develops following contact with the skin - can also be useful to remove any foreign bodies or dirt particles that have deeply penetrated and that the normal cleansing with water was not able to eliminate.
- Once the wound disinfection procedure is finished, if it is necessary to protect it from the external environment, it can be covered with sterile and hypoallergenic bandages or gauze.
Tips and useful information
Below are some useful information and some tips to follow both during and after the wound disinfection procedure, so as to allow optimal healing and to prevent, or promptly identify, any complications.
- When cleaning and disinfecting wounds are performed, it is advisable to use sterile gauzes and not use cotton wool instead. In fact, the latter could release small fibers inside the wound. Not surprisingly, cotton wool is mainly used for the disinfection of intact skin (for example, before injections).
- Regardless of the type of antiseptic used, it is good to keep in mind that the disinfectant action is not immediate, but is expressed within a few minutes.
- Antiseptics - if not properly stored, or if the package has been opened too long - may lose all or part of their effectiveness; therefore, care should be taken.
- However superficial it may seem, it is still necessary to observe how the wound healing process evolves, so as to ensure that it occurs correctly and that no infections of any kind are developed. In fact, if after a few days the lesion does not heal, if it causes pain or burning or if you notice the presence of edema and redness, then there may be an ongoing infection. In this case it is advisable to immediately contact your doctor who will take all the necessary measures.
