The skin is the primary barrier blocking microbes from entering the body and causing infection. Breaks in this skin barrier result in wounds, which can be caused by various different injuries or bites. Wounds can result in excessive blood loss, infection and/or scar formation. There are several different types of wounds, including abrasions, punctures, lacerations and avulsions.
Lacerations
Merck Manuals describes lacerations as cuts or tears of the skin and perhaps the underlying tissue. The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh notes that lacerations may be very minor, meaning the cut does not extend deep into the tissue and does not bleed extensively. If the laceration is deep enough, it may require medical care to clean and close the wound. There are a few different ways doctors close lacerations, which include stitches or special adhesive bandages. However, stitches may be necessary to close very deep lacerations. Sharp objects such as glass, knives and razors are common causes of lacerations.
Abrasions
Abrasions are also often commonly called scrapes. The Medical Student Learning Center, which is associated with the Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine and aims to educate medical students on plastic surgery, describes abrasions as removal of the first couple of layers of the skin. Abrasions can be caused by rubbing the skin against a fixed rough surface, such as a child skinning his knee when falling on the ground.
Punctures
A puncture wound is a deep wound that may appear as a very small wound on the surface of the skin, according to Children's Hospital Boston. It is sometimes easy to not consider a puncture wound a serious injury because of its harmless appearance of the surface of the skin. However, puncture wounds often do need medical treatment, because they are highly susceptible to infection because of the dirt and debris left in the wound by the object that caused the wound. Long, sharp objects, such as a metal nail or a piece of glass, are common causes of puncture wounds.
Avulsions
Avulsions are characterized by a section of tissue that has been torn off partially or totally, according to the Medical Student Learning Center. A partial avulsion is characterized by torn tissue that is still partially attached to the body. A total avulsion is characterized by complete removal of a piece of skin and tissue. The last type of avulsion is a major avulsion, in which a portion of the extremity is completely removed. Examples of major avulsions include amputations of the fingers, ears and nose.
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