A wound is an injury that involves a break in the skin. Wounds result from surgery, trauma due to an accident, or disease. How a wound is treated depends on the cause, the size and type of the wound, and whether the person has other health problems.
For example, a clean surgical wound may not heal as well if a person has diabetes, because the disease affects blood flow and can slow healing. A large open wound from trauma heals more slowly than a small surgical wound.
One way a doctor treats a wound is by covering it with a dressing. A dressing protects and supports a wound, and promotes healing. A gauze dressing absorbs the fluid or drainage that normally exits a wound and provides a cover against infection.
When a person has a wound, of any type, there is a risk for infection, because germs easily enter through a break in the skin. See our lesson on Infection Control.
If you care for a person who has a gauze wound dressing you need to:
There are many types of dressings. This lesson reviews the steps for changing dry gauze dressings.
When a person has a wound, of any type, there is a risk for infection, because germs easily enter through a break in the skin.