A wound is an injury.
Wound is a cut or injury on some part of a living body ( "I have a wound on my left foot that prevents me from walking normally" , "The offender died after suffering a significant wound to his scalp" ).
If we want to establish the etymological origin of the word wound, we must resort to Latin because that language is where the word that gave rise to it is found. Specifically, there we can see how it emanates from the verb ferire , which can be translated as “to hurt or hit.”
On the other hand, a wound is called a blow that is carried out with a sharp weapon ( knife , razor, dagger , etc.) and that causes damage : “The police officer has been hospitalized since he has four stab wounds in the chest. ” .
A wound represents a loss of continuity in the skin , which is secondary to trauma . Such aggression to the tissue can generate a risk of infection or the possibility of injury to adjacent tissues and organs.
Types of wound
Thus, we find various types of wounds. Specifically, one of them is what is known as a puncture wound . This term is used to define any injury that has occurred as a result of a thin, sharp object.
Furthermore, the concept of blunt wound is also used within the field of medicine , which, as its name indicates, is one that occurs as a result of a contusion . And all this without forgetting the penetrating wound , which is what manages to reach the inside of a specific area of the body.
Taking into account these meanings, and many other existing ones, we can establish that the types of wounds can be classified based on four criteria and their levels. In this way, we can establish a typology based on the signs of infection , their depth , the place where they are located and the extent they have.
A wound can be treated in different ways depending on its characteristics.
Victim assistance
To assist a person with a minor injury, it is necessary to use surgical gloves to avoid contagion. The wound should be cleaned from the center to the periphery with soap and water or physiological saline . Specialists recommend not using alcohol (it produces vasodilation) or hydrogen peroxide (it destroys tissues).
When the separation of the edges of the wound is important, the assistance of a doctor will be required for suturing . Otherwise, it is possible to apply an antiseptic and leave it in the open air to dry, or apply a bandage in case it continues to bleed.
emotional wounds
All this without forgetting that there are also so-called love wounds , which are those that are felt, emotionally and sentimentally speaking, in the heart when a breakup with a partner or a strong argument with them occurs.
A wound can also be emotional or psychological . When someone suffers an offense, a grievance or is distressed, they feel hurt. It is a situation of torment for the spirit: “His words have left a wound in me,” “The reunion with María caused me a wound that I still cannot heal.”