A flesh wound breaks through the skin but not bone or organs, and can be caused by accidents or medical procedures. Patients should keep the wound clean to avoid infection, and more serious wounds may require stitches.
A flesh wound is any type of injury that breaks through the skin but does not penetrate bone or organs. In most cases, the term flesh wound is used to describe a minor injury that can be easily treated and cured. This type of wound can affect only the outermost layer of skin, causing light bleeding, or it can extend through the entire epidermis and into muscle tissue. A serious injury of this type may require stitches to be closed, but should not require any other type of medical attention. Patients with these types of wounds should keep them clean because it is possible for them to develop an infection.
There are different types of skin wounds: scrapes, cuts, incisions and puncture wounds can break the skin and leave a wound that affects only the patient’s flesh. Although many of these types of injuries can be more serious, extending to the bones or organs, to be considered a flesh wound, the injury must stop before these parts of the body.
Many different things can cause a flesh wound. Most patients get these injuries from accidents, such as falling or inadvertently hitting sharp objects. These types of injuries can also occur as a result of a medical procedure, such as surgery. An incision made to examine or repair internal damage can be considered a flesh wound.
A patient with a superficial wound must take care of it properly so that it heals quickly and does not become infected. Most skin wounds bleed, so the first thing a patient should do to heal one is to stop the bleeding by applying pressure with a sterile bandage. If the bleeding is severe, the patient should consult a doctor. Otherwise, when the bleeding stops, the injured area should be washed with soap and water and then covered with a clean, dry bandage. The bandage should be changed at least twice a day until the wound has healed.
More serious injuries may require medical attention. A skin wound that extends more than 0.5 inch (about 1 centimeter) of the patient’s skin or that penetrates the entire depth of the epidermis may require stitches. A doctor will need to put these stitches in place and they will dissolve or be removed when the wound has healed.
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