What is an Acute Wound?
Acute wounds follow the expected and predictable rate of healing through each of the stages above. Acute wounds usually do not have complications and show a definite sign of healing within one to four weeks. All wounds start out as acute wounds.
Acute wounds can occur from any incident of trauma that damages the skin. Many acute wounds are caused by small abrasions, any type of burns, a laceration, puncture wounds, or surgical incisions. You’ll be able to tell if you have an acute wound, as there will be damage to your skin, bleeding, and likely pain in the localized area. In more severe cases, you might also experience high levels of swelling, tenderness, or even a fever.
Causes of Acute Wounds
Many actions can cause an acute wound, including :
- Rough surfaces scraping and rubbing against the skin
- Sharp pointed objects, such as a nail, poking or jabbing into body tissue
- Sharp edges or blades, such as a knife, cutting the skin cleanly
- Hard blows by any objects, tearing the tissue roughly by sheer force
Types of Acute Wounds
There are two main types of acute wounds: surgical and traumatic:
Surgical wounds are incisions made purposefully by a health care professional and are cut precisely, creating clean edges around the wound. Surgical wounds may be closed (with stitches, staples or adhesive) or left open to heal. The healing process for surgical wounds is classified by their potential for infection.
- Clean - A clean surgical wound considered uncontaminated, likely made in an operating room or in a sterile procedure environment
- Contaminated – A surgical wound that was possibly contaminated with bacteria but is not yet infected.
- Dirty – A surgical wound with a bacterial infection.
- Traumatic wounds –Traumatic wounds are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused by a force of some nature. They are classified by the object that caused the force.
- Abrasion – A rough surface scrapes or rubs the skin, causing trauma and tearing the tissue, such as the knee scraping against asphalt.
- Puncture – A pointed object pokes into the tissue, sometimes causing deep multi-layered trauma, such as the foot stepping on a nail.
- Laceration– A sharp object delivers a hard blow to the tissue, resulting in a tear that can be jagged and irregular, such as bumping a leg on a table, causing a break in the skin.
- Incision – A straight edged cut to the skin caused by a sharp blade such as cutting a finger with a knife.
How to Treat an Acute Wound
Treating an acute wound involves cleaning and sterilizing the injury and applying the proper wound care dressings, as ordered by your physician. How you treat an acute wound largely depends on the size of the wound, where it is on your body, and how severe it is. In some cases, stiches or staples may be required. Your doctor will talk to you about how to treat your specific wound and the best guidelines to follow for wound care. It is imperative that you follow your doctor’s treatment plan to avoid having an acute wound turn into a chronic wound.
Treatment of acute wounds depends upon its location and severity. General wound care may include the following:
- Controlling the bleeding – Identify the source of bleeding and applying pressure (if applicable) to make it stop.
- Cleansing the wound - General soap and water may be used on minor acute wounds. Saline solutions may be used on larger, deeper or more complex wounds.
- Debridement– If necessary, clear the wound of any debris, dirt or objects. A health care professional may remove dead tissue from the wound.
- Dressing and/or closing the wound – Some wounds may require a health care professional to apply staples, skin adhesive, sterile strips or stitches to bring the wound edges together to close. Wounds may be left open to air or covered with dressings depending upon their location and severity.
- Antibiotics and other medicines - In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to thwart off infection. This is typical in wounds with a high risk of developing infection, as in those contaminated with debris. Medications for pain, swelling and other wound specific treatments (such as a tetanus shot) may also be recommended.
General principles of changing an acute wound dressing involve the following.
1.  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Â Make sure to set all of your supplies out on a clean surface or paper towel prior to getting started.
3. Open all of the packages for your wound care and cut any tape in advance.
4. Use specific wound care scissors to cut any dressings and make sure that they are cleaned both before and after use.
5. After removing your old wound dressing, take some time to examine it and note any changes to your wound. If you notice an increase in drainage, a new order, a change in color (green or blue) of the drainage, redness, increased pain, have a fever over 100°F, or have any spikes in your blood sugar levels, call your doctor immediately. These can be signs that your acute wound isn’t healing properly or is infected.
6. Clean your acute wound with the cleaner that your doctor recommended. Oftentimes soap and water are sufficient, but you may also use a saline or specific type of wound cleaner. Clean the wound from the inside out.
7. Apply your new wound dressing as recommended by your physician and tape down the edges or wrap it with gauze to secure it.
8. Wash your hands and clean up the area. Make sure to clean and sanitize any equipment you used.
In addition to making sure that you follow proper guidelines for cleaning and caring for your wound, it’s important that you eat a diet that’s filled with nutritious foods. Healing happens from the inside out, so you need to make sure your body is fueled properly and getting the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Many doctors recommend increasing your intake of calories and protein to help assist in wound healing. Try to eat protein at every meal and spread your meals out throughout the day. Eat six small meals instead of three large ones to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep your metabolism strong. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and always keep your body hydrated by drinking at least eight, 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Avoid sugary drinks like sodas or sports drinks and do not drink alcohol.Â
