What Is an Open Skin Wound?
Any injury involving a break in the skin can be considered an open wound. The most common causes of open wounds include car accidents, falls, and injuries involving sharp objects. There are four basic categories of open wounds:
Abrasions:
An abrasion is commonly referred to as a scrape and normally occurs when the skin rubs against something hard or rough. Road rash following a fall from a bike or skateboard is a common type of abrasion. Although there is generally not a lot of blood associated with a scrape, it is important to clean the wound to prevent infection.
Lacerations:
A laceration involves cutting or tearing of the skin. Depending on the depth of the wound, lacerations can cause significant bleeding. Accidents involving knives, machinery, and other sharp objects are some of the common causes of lacerations.
Punctures:
Puncture wounds are typically caused by long, pointed objects, such as nails. Depending on the location and depth of the puncture, there may not be significant blood loss, but there can still be damage to organs or other internal body structures. Even small puncture wounds can pose a serious risk of infection, so you should see a doctor to determine if you need a tetanus shot. You should never try to remove an object embedded in a puncture wound since this could cause further damage.
Avulsions:
Avulsions involve either a partial or complete tearing away of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Avulsions typically occur following extremely violent or traumatic injuries, such as gunshots, explosions, or crushing accidents. Avulsions are often associated with heavy, rapid blood loss.
