Minor Wounds and Burns

Classification of minor wounds and burns

Wounds are classified primarily depending on their duration and their depth. Acute wounds usually heal within 3 weeks whereas in the case of chronic wounds the time since injury typically is more than 3 months. ²⁴

Typical questions about wound and burn care:

The answer, in short, is to keep wounds covered, and after carefully piercing and draining a blister, keep the blister skin intact to keep it moist.²⁶

Use a sterile needle to make a small hole in the blister, then drain the blister onto clean gauze. ²⁶

Wounds that are kept moist: ^{24B,C p132}

• Puncture wounds or animal bites, and especially if you have not had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years
• Severe second and third degree burn wounds
• Gaping wounds with ragged edges that stay open and may require stitches
• Wounds where you can see exposed fat, white tissue or muscle
• Wounds with visible foreign matter such as gravel, glass or dirt
• Wounds that are spraying blood
• Wounds that cause severe pain, numbness or inability to move the limb
• If you are using medications such a steroids or anticoagulants