Wound Care
Wounds include cuts, scrapes, scratches and punctured skin. They often occur as a result of an accident or injury, but sugical incisions, sutures and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds usually aren't serious, but even cuts and scrapes require care.
To avoid infection and aid healing:
- Apply pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding
- Clean the wound with water and/or saline
- Use an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
- Bandage the wound if it is in an area that might get infected
- Watch for swelling and redness
Serious and infected wounds require medical attention. You should also seek attention if the wound is deep, if you cannot close it yourself, if you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or if it does not heal.
We offer a wide range of avanced wound care products to aid in your at home recovery
| Advanced Wound Care | Basic Wound Care |
| Alginate | Abdominal Pads |
| Foam Dressings | Adhesive Bandages |
| Hydrocolloid | Compression / Elastic Bandages |
| Hydrogel | Self-Adherent Compression |
| Island Dressings | Conforming Bandage |
| Transparent Film Dressings | Cotton / Gauze Sponges |
| Wet/Moist Non-Adherent Dressings | Eye Pads |
| Active Wound Care | Wound Cleansers |
| Antimicrobial Wound Care | Gauze / Cotton Bandages, Rolls & Dressings |
| Moist Wound Care | Non-Woven Sponges |
| Non-adherent Dressings | Tapes |
| Antimicrobial Dressings | Wound Closures |
| Cover Dressings | Applicators |
| Adhesive Dressings | Ointments |
| Wound Management System | Sterile Packing Strips |
| Diganostic Devices | Wound Measurement |
Glossary of Terms for Wound Care
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Abrasion |
Wearing away of the skin through some mechanical process |
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Abscess |
Accumulation of pus formed in tissue as a result of infection |
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Alginate |
A highly absorptive dressing derived from brown seaweed |
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Cellulitis |
Inflammation of the tissues indicating a local infection; characterized by redness, edema and tenderness |
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Collagen |
Main supportive protein of the skin and connective tissue |
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Debridement |
Removal of foreign material and devitalized or contaminated tissue from a wound |
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Dehiscence |
Separation of wound edges |
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Denude |
Removal or loss of superficial skin layers |
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Edema |
Swelling |
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Epidermis |
Outermost layer of the skin |
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Erythema |
Diffuse redness of the skin |
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Eschar |
Thick, leathery black crust; it is nonviable tissue and is colonized with bacteria |
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Excoriation |
Linear scratches on the skin |
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Exudate |
Wound fluid or drainage |
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Friction |
Rubbing that causes mechanical trauma to the skin |
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Full-thickness |
Tissue destruction extending through the dermis to involve subcutaneous tissue and possibly muscle, fascia, or bone |
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Granulation |
Formation of connective tissue and many new capillaries in a full-thickness wound; typically appears as red and cobblestoned |
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Hydrocolloid Dressing |
A category of wound dressings composed of materials, such as gelatine, pectin, and carboxymethylcellulose, that provide a moist healing environment and adhere to the skin around the wound |
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Hydrogel |
Water or glycerine-based gels, impregnated gauzes or sheet dressings. Hydrogels maintain a moist healing environment and absorb a minimal amount of wound exudates |
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Hydrophilic |
Attracting moisture |
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Infection |
Overgrowth of microorganisms in sufficient quantities to overwhelm the body’s defences |
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Maceration |
Softening of tissue by soaking in fluids |
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Necrotic |
Devitalized tissue, may appear yellow and moist, gray, or dark and leathery |
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Partial-Thickness |
Wounds that extend through the epidermis and may involve the dermis; these wounds heal by re-epithelialization |
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Peri-Wound |
The area immediately around the wound |
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Pus |
Thick fluid composed of leukocytes, bacteria, and cellular debris |
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Shear |
Sliding of the skin over subcutaneous tissues and bones obstructing cutaneous capillaries, which may lead to ischemia |
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Sinus Tract |
A course or pathway which can extend in any direction from the wound base, resulting in dead space with potential for abscess formation |
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Slough |
Stringy, necrotic tissue, usually yellow, tan, gray, green or brown |
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Strip |
Removal of epidermis by mechanical means, usually tape |
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Ulcer |
Loss of epidermis/dermis or mucous membrane with defined margins |
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Undermine |
Skin edges of a wound that have lost supporting tissue under intact skin |
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Wound |
A break in the integrity of the skin; injury to the body which causes a disruption of the normal continuity of the body structures |
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Wound Margin |
Rim or border of a wound |
