Thorax wound

Very low urgency
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It is any lesion at the level of the thorax that affects the skin producing a loss of its integrity.

It is generally due to falls, blows, burns, weapons and other types of accidents.

It can manifest with bleeding, pain and redness. If infection is added it may be accompanied by discoloration, swelling, heat, pain, scaling, itching, etc. Depending on its severity, medical assistance may be necessary.

Diagnosis is obtained by questioning and physical examination of the lesion area.

Depending on the depth of the wound, they are classified as follows:

  • Superficial or simple: they damage only the outer layers of the skin (epidermis and dermis), without affecting noble elements such as blood vessels, nerves or tendons.
  • Deep: they extend beyond the deepest layer of the skin (subcutaneous cellular tissue) affecting various tissues, skin, muscle or bone. Reconstruction and regeneration will be more difficult.
  • Perforating: they penetrate organic cavities, causing lesions to organs.
  • Impalement: caused by an incised-puncturing object, which is trapped in the body causing different types of lesions and organ involvement.

In many cases, they can be managed at home or on an outpatient basis. If the lesion is deep or the bleeding is very important, you should receive assistance from a specialist in a hospital. 

Bibliographic references
  1. 1. Pancorbo-Hidalgo P. Investigación sobre las heridas. Gerokomos  [Internet]. 2016 ; 27( 3 ): 89-90. Disponible en: http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1134-928X2016000300001
  2. MedlinePlus: Información de Salud para usted [Internet]. Estados Unidos: National Library of Medicine. Disponible en: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/woundsandinjuries.html
  3. 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_r
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Symptoms

    Thorax wound/cut


    Bleeding


    Chest pain


    Sunken skin lesion


    Very minor bleeding < 350 ml

Symptoms to watch out for

Deep injury
Deeply embedded object
Bleeding that won't stop
Loss of sensitivity in the area.
Human or animal bite
Wound with signs of infection (warmth, redness, painful sensation, fever, swelling)

Self-care

Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
Apply pressure to stop bleeding.
Apply a clean bandage that does not stick to the wound.
Do not remove deeply embedded objects.
Avoid blowing on the wound.