It can be a challenge to determine how severe a wound or injury is without the professional training to do so. It’s important to note that pain isn’t the only indicator of severity; for instance, papercuts can be very painful but they aren’t anywhere near severe.
Doctors classify wounds by type of injury and then by the amount of damage present. Having an understanding of this system can help you to understand if you have a non-emergency injury or if you need to head straight to the emergency room.
Wound Types
Wounds are defined as anything that damages the protective surface of the skin and are classified based on the tissues affected and how they present at the time of examination. Location and depth also change severity.
Basic Terms to Know
- Acute wounds heal in an expected time and manner. Chronic wounds take longer to heal and frequently have complications.
- Pressure injuries are caused by pressure or shearing forces on the skin. They are common in people who can’t move or are under tight medical equipment.
- Diabetic ulcers are caused by changes to the nerves and circulation from diabetes.
- Open wounds expose underlying tissue or organs while closed wounds do not expose tissues below the skin.
- Wounds can be non-penetrating, such as injuries from blunt trauma or friction from things like sports injuries. Penetrating wounds go through the full thickness of the skin.
External wounds are present visually while internal wounds are solely inside the body and may be caused by underlying health issues or circulation problems among others.
Wound Severity
Generally, the depth of the wound determines how severe it is. While burns and ulcers have their own classifications, general wounds can be classified in the following way:
- Superficial wounds only involve the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis.
- Partial thickness reaches the next deepest layer of skin, the dermis.
- Full-thickness wounds go through the skin and can reach subcutaneous fat, bones, or organs.
Full-thickness wounds are the type that need emergency care. Pressure sores or moisture-related wounds like diaper rash can progress from a superficial wound to a full-thickness wound if they aren’t treated. Some injuries can be a fraction of an inch long but go very deep so it is always worth having these checked out immediately.
Most superficial injuries only need cleaning and dressing to heal, whether you do it at home or seek out wound care. Partial-thickness wounds may need a bit more medical attention, including stitches or special dressings to heal properly.
The Appearance of the Wound
If you aren’t sure if a wound is healing, there are a few ways to determine this. First, new wounds will be inflamed before you start seeing granular pink or red tissue that doesn’t bleed in the wound bed.
Most wounds will heal in about 6 weeks or so.
You mainly need to worry if the wound is taking longer to heal or if you see changes to the wound that show unhealthy tissue.
An older wound that isn’t healing or doesn’t have enough circulation may still have purple or blue tinges and still bleed. Also, any white tissue doesn’t get replaced by fresh tissue or darker dying tissue in the wound are signs for concern.
Seek care immediately if you see these signs as they can lead to serious medical issues quickly.
Get Your Wounds Treated
Many superficial wounds can be treated at home, but if it seems more serious, you may need to seek out care for your minor wounds. Physicians Injury Clinic can see you within 30 minutes so you don’t need to wait for wound care. Then, we either care for it in the office or give you a referral for further care. Make your appointment today and get the peace of mind that your wounds are healing properly.
