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Wound Care

The skin, or integumentary system, is the largest organ in the body. It accounts for about 6 to 8 lbs of a person's body weight and has a surface area of more than 20 square feet. Skin protects the body by acting as a barrier between internal structures and the external world.
Any damage to the skin is considered a wound. Wounds to the skin can result from planned events (such as surgery), accidents (such as a fall from a bike), or exposure to the environment (such as the damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight. Tissue damage in wounds varies widely, from a superficial break in the epithelium to deep trauma that involves the muscle and bone. A "clean" wound is a wound produced by surgery. A wound is described as "dirty" if it contains bacteria or other debris. Trauma typically produces dirty wounds.
Types of wound healing:     Primary intention is the process by which a surgical wound is closed. The skin edges are approximated to each other and secured with sutures, staples, or skin glue. These wounds usually heal in 4 to 4 days and result in minimal scarring. Secondary intention are infected wounds or wounds that involve some degree of tissue loss with edges that can't be easily approximated heal by secondary intentions, Depending on a wounds depth, it can be described as partial thickness or full thickness. Partial-thickness wounds extend through the epidermis and into, but not through, the dermis. These are superficial wounds that usually close in 7 to 14 days, typically with little or no scarring. Full-thickness wounds extend through the epidermis and dermis and may involve subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and possible, bone.