Care of injured

To prevent infection in wounds, burns and other conditions, all dressings and instruments should be sterile. Dressings should be supplied pre-packed and sterilised. There are two ways of obtaining sterile instruments:
- The instruments or equipment can be obtained in pre-packed sterilised containers. Such instruments are for once-only use and are disposable. Disposable equipment is very convenient to use.
- Instruments, which are not disposable, should be sterilised just before use in a steriliser or by boiling in water for not less than 10 minutes, then allowed to cool.
In using any instrument, the patient, or ‘business’, end of the instrument must not touch anything before use and only the operator should handle the operator parts of the instrument. The attendant should similarly guard against infecting the wound:
- Sleeves should be rolled-up.
- Hands, wrists and forearms should be thoroughly washed, with soap and running water.
- Surgical latex (rubber) gloves should be worn to protect both the operator and the patient.

Classification of wounds
 
Wounds vary enormously in extent and depth, depending on how they are caused. They can be classified as follows:
- Abrasions (Grazes). These are often superficial and if thoroughly cleaned and appropriately dressed usually heal well.
- Incised wounds. These are caused by sharp implements, such as knives or glass, and may penetrate deeply to and through underlying structures, such as tendons, down to bone. The wound edges are generally healthy and heal well if the edges are carefully opposed.
- Lacerations. These are caused by blunt injury and involve crushing or tearing of the wound edge. This results in tissue damage or loss, and consequently carries an increased risk of infection.
- Puncture Wounds. These are not associated with great tissue damage or loss but carry a high risk of infection as organisms or foreign material (e.g. dirt or bits of clothing) may be driven deep into the wound.
- Bites – human or animal. These are often a combination of puncture and crush and carry an extremely high risk of infection, and will usually require antibiotics.
- Degloving Wounds. e.g. tissue being torn from a finger by a ring. These injuries involve loss of blood supply to the tissue and require specialist attention.