Any injury to the hand that affects the skin and causes a loss of its integrity.
It is usually caused by falls, blows, burns, weapons and other types of accidents.
Symptoms include bleeding, pain and redness. If infection occurs, it may be accompanied by discoloration, swelling, heat, pain, peeling, itching, etc. Depending on the severity, medical attention may be required.
The diagnosis is made by questioning the patient and performing a physical examination of the injured area.
Depending on the depth of the wound, they are classified as follows:
Superficial or simple: only the outer layers of the skin (epidermis and dermis) are damaged, without affecting major structural anatomy such as blood vessels, nerves, or tendons.
Deep: they go beyond the deepest layer of the skin (subcutaneous cellular tissue) and affect different tissues, skin, muscle or bone. Reconstruction and regeneration are more difficult.
Perforating: they penetrate into organic cavities and can even injure internal organs.
Impalement: caused by a puncturing object that becomes lodged in the body, causing various types of injury and organ involvement.
In many cases, they can be treated at home or on an outpatient basis. If the injury is deep or the bleeding is severe, you should seek the help of a specialist in a hospital.
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- MedlinePlus: Información de Salud para usted [Internet]. Estados Unidos: National Library of Medicine. Disponible en: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/woundsandinjuries.html
- Amstrong D, Meyr A. Clinical assessment of wounds. UptoDate [Internet]. 2018. Disponible en:https://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-assessment-of-wounds?search=wound%20diagnosis&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1
