A puncture wound is caused by a sharp object.
Sharp is that which stings . The verb to puncture (which has its etymological root in the Latin punctiare ), for its part, refers to causing a wound with a pointed object or encouraging an ailment.
The concept of a puncture wound refers to an injury that occurs with something sharp. If a thief attacks his victim with a knife, stabbing him in the arm, it can be said that the person attacked suffered a puncture wound. The same can be mentioned about someone who, working with a punch, stabs the tool into his hand.
Among the objects that can cause a puncture wound are nails, hooks and needles , although certain serious bites also fall into this category, such as those produced during an attack by a snake. This injury is characterized by causing great pain; Although the entry hole is not so obvious and the bleeding is not very important, it is considered one of the most dangerous, mainly due to the depth it can reach.
The puncture wound can directly affect the integrity of internal organs, complicating bleeding and increasing the risk of infection, since it cannot be completely treated without surgical intervention. One of the complications associated with this type of injury, which represents 5% of children admitted to emergency rooms, is tetanus.
How to proceed with a puncture wound
Let's see below how to proceed with a puncture wound:
- It is essential to act as soon as the injury occurs , to reduce the likelihood of infection or its severity, since in some cases it can be fatal.
- Although it may seem secondary, it is very useful to try to calm the injured person, especially when it comes to children or impressionable people.
- If the sharp object does not exceed one centimeter in length and width, it should be removed with the help of tweezers , making sure that there are no splinters inside and that it does not bleed too much. If the bleeding increases considerably, this step should be interrupted and the emergency room should be called immediately.
- If the bleeding is moderate we should not worry, since its function is to clean the wound from the inside. It is recommended to allow about two minutes to pass.
- Finally, it is necessary to cover the wound with a clean gauze to stop the bleeding .
The sharp has a point.
Other uses of the concept
The pointed object is also usually classified as sharp. For example: “The victim's body shows an attack with a sharp instrument, such as a spike or sharp metal,” “The kidnapper threatened the woman with a sharp element and thus managed to force her into the vehicle.”
The notion of stabbing pain, for its part, is linked to the ailment that appears intermittently with great intensity . The person, in this way, may feel something similar to a stab in the part of the body that hurts: “I have a stabbing pain in my right leg that prevents me from walking normally,” “The doctor sent me to undergo several tests to determine what is the cause of the stabbing pain that I have been suffering in my neck for several weeks.”
symbolic meaning of the term sharp
The adjective sharp can also be used symbolically to refer to that which generates a wound or hurts, always in a figurative sense : "The actor's sharp comments caused a great controversy" , "He has always had a reputation for being sharp in this type of encounters, but his bravery never ceases to surprise me" , "I don't understand why he has to be so sharp, it's as if he doesn't care about other people's feelings" .
In this sense, the term piercing can be used as a synonym for incisor ; In any case, it is an attitude when speaking that is characterized by touching on topics that are uncomfortable, which the interlocutor would have preferred to avoid, or by emphasizing certain points and preventing the conversation from moving forward. Sharp comments are usually used with the purpose of clarifying a misunderstanding, although they can also seek to hurt the other person for personal reasons as opposite as resentment or envy.