Wound care is a way to treat wounds that occur as a result of accidents, postoperative, post-stitching, or pressure sores. If done properly, wound care can prevent infection and speed up the recovery process.
The skin is susceptible to various health problems, including minor to severe injuries. The wound can be caused by a sharp object incision, injury, or complications of certain diseases.
In addition to the surface of the skin, wounds can also damage structures under the skin, such as muscles, bones, or nerves. These various types of wounds need to be treated according to their type to prevent damage to other organs.
Wound Treatment Goals
Generally, minor injuries can be treated independently. However, deeper wounds require medical attention from a doctor. Wound care by a doctor aims to:
- Cleans wounds from pus and dead skin cells
- Prevents wound from infection
- Changing the bandage or dressing
- Speed up healing
- Minimizes scars or keloid formation
Wound Care Warning
Depending on the type of wound experienced, there are things that need to be considered before performing wound care, to prevent the wound from getting worse, including:
- Avoid applying ointments or creams that are not for open wounds.
- Do not use butter, egg whites, toothpaste, and other ingredients that are not intended for wound care.
- Avoid wiping the wound with cotton, because the remnants of cotton fibers can be left behind and create an infection wound.
- Do not clean the wound with alcohol and antiseptic solutions.
If you are seriously injured and need medical attention, there are a few things to tell your doctor. This is to prevent interference during wound care.
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
- Allergy to infection-preventing drugs, such as povidone iodine
- Allergy to certain antibiotics
- Allergy to gauze or bandages
- Diabetes or a disease that can interfere with blood clotting
Preparation Before Wound Treatment
The preparation that the patient needs to do is to avoid things that can hinder the wound care process. Some things that patients need to do before undergoing wound care are:
- Do not take drugs that interfere with the wound healing process, such as aspirin
- Do not use antiseptic creams, chemicals, and other ingredients that are not meant to treat wounds
Wound Treatment Procedure
Wound care procedures may vary, but in general the stages the doctor will perform include:
- Wash hands thoroughly and wear sterile gloves
- Ask the patient to undress if the wound is on the chest, back, or groin
- Remove the bandage slowly, or by pre-wetting the bandage with sterile saline solution for easy removal
- Examine the wound by looking and feeling it for pus, pain, signs of infection, or dead tissue.
- Clean and compress the wound with gauze moistened with sterile saline
- Applying special ointments or creams for each type of wound if needed, for example antibiotic cream for wounds with signs of infection
- Cover the wound with a special dressing according to the type and location of the wound, then apply a bandage or bandage it
After Wound Treatment
After undergoing wound care, the doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics and painkillers if the wound looks infected. Meanwhile, if there are signs of dead tissue, the doctor may refer the patient to undergo surgery to remove dead tissue.debridement).
If the patient has finished undergoing treatment at the hospital, the doctor will provide instructions on how to treat the wound at home until it heals. However, patients are advised to immediately go to the nearest health service if they experience the following conditions:
- Fever
- The wound emits an unpleasant odor
- Severe pain in the area around the wound
- Bleeding or pus from the wound
Patients are also advised to make several efforts to help the wound recovery process, namely:
- Eat nutritious foods, including vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin A and vitamin C
- Drink enough water
- Open the bandage or bandage on the wound slowly to prevent the wound from getting worse
- Do not scratch or peel freshly dry wounds
- Talk to your doctor about using medications or creams to reduce scarring
- Avoid activities that cause injury and take treatment according to doctor’s advice if you have diabetes
Wound Treatment Complications
The success of wound care is influenced by various factors, such as the condition of the wound and the type of treatment provided. Some wound treatments can cause complications such as:
- Scar
- Painful
- Uncomfortable feeling
Even after undergoing treatment, there are several factors that cause the wound to heal slowly, such as the food consumed, the type of treatment, or the patient’s medical history. This condition can cause a number of complications such as:
- Secondary infection
- Cellulitis
- Osteomyelitis
- Maggot growth
- Abscess
- Sepsis
- Spread of infection to other organs
- Fistula
