General Catalogue 2023 DIGITAL

268 Wound care and first aid In their professional everyday work, foot specialists are often confronted with wounds, e.g. when treating diabetics. But other injuries - even those related to treatment - are regularly seen in foot care practices. As a foot care professional, one never really knows what one will find when the customer takes off their shoes and socks. Is it „just“ untrimmed nails, too much callus or a not too deep corn? Or is the customer presenting an ingrown, pusridden nail, an inflamed corn or a deep, wetting crack? Careful action is required in any event. What is a wound? A wound is a forcible separation or damage to the skin and/or underlying tissues. Wounds are differentiated by the way in which they occurred (mechanical, ther- mal, chemical and ulcerative wounds). They, in turn, are classified by depth, absence of pathogens as well as location and extent. Mechanical injuries are most common. They include abrasions, cut, stab, crack, burst and bite wounds as well as skin blisters, bruises and skin detachment. Thermal and chemical wounds tend to be rare in a foot care practice. If in doubt, send the patient to a doctor! But in order to reduce the risk of wound infection and also encourage wound healing, rapid and well founded first aid is required. In principle, the following is true for all injuries: The wound should be carefully cleaned and disinfected. However the further care depends on the nature and type of the wound. And for the so called First Aider: Wear protective gloves to protect yourself against infections! Mechanical injuries Abrasions Only the upper skin layer (epidermis) is affected in abrasions. Abra- sions don‘t bleed much, since “only” the fine skin capillaries are torn open. But these injuries are often very painful. Depending on where the abrasion was acquired, there is a higher risk of infection due to dirt particles or foreign bodies. The abrasion must therefore be carefully cleaned, e.g. with two to three percent hydrogen peroxide solution (H2O2), and then disinfected. For instance, Octenisept is suitable for this purpose. Abrasions normally heal on their own without scars. A suitable wound bandage can support this healing process and protect the wound against infections. Cut wounds Cut wounds may have various depths. For treatment, it depends on which skin layers are affected. Superficial, not strongly bleeding cut wounds of the epidermis are best treated like abrasions - clean, disinfect and provide a wound bandage (plaster). The deeper the wound, the greater the risk of complications. In cuts which reach into the deeper skin layers, there is a risk of nerves, larger blood vessels and tendons being affected. These wounds also normally bleed a lot. A doctor‘s examination is mandatory in such a case. First aid includes keeping blood loss as low as possible. It‘s often enough to position the affected body part high and protect the wound with a sterile bandage. If this does not stop bleeding, a pressure bandage should be applied. Deep cut wounds must be treated as quickly as possible to avoid consequential damage such as paralysis in severed nerves and unattractive scars. Fungal foot pathogen Trichophyton © NAS | Biophoto Associates | OKAPIA WO U N D C A R E WOUND CARE