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Types of Acute Wounds

Acute wounds can occur from two main sources: injury or surgery. Traumatic abrasions, lacerations or burns all constitute acute injury wounds. Acute wounds that fail to heal correctly in certain situations are called chronic acute wounds. Some acute wounds will heal on their own without intervention; others may require extensive medical treatment depending on the situation. Acute wounds carry the risk of infection and scarring.

  1. Traumatic Wounds

    • An acute traumatic wound occurs from a laceration or puncture. When the force of an object is stronger than the skin, or the object has a sharp or pointed edge and breaks through the dermis, an acute wound results. Stitches may seal the cut to prevent further damage and promote knitting the skin back together on larger wounds. Traumatic wounds wounds often heal without extensive intervention. The main risks of this type of acute wound include damage on interior structures or organs (if the wound is deep enough), and infection.

    Burns and Abrasions

    • Serious abrasions and burns fall under the category of acute wounds. Abrasions can be serious if the trauma scraps away enough of the skin's surface. Risks from abrasion come from pain and infection. Burns can have several classifications and degrees of damage from first degree (or superficial) to third degree (which completely destroys the tissue and possibly the muscle below it). These types of acute wounds require intensive care and restructuring such as skin grafts. Burns heal slowly and produce deep pain if the damage is extensive. Fatalities can occur in heavily burned victims.

    Surgical Wounds

    • Surgical wounds breach the integrity of the skin and often go much deeper, either to enter and repair an internal organ or system of the body, or to remove damaged or diseased tissue. Emergency surgeries add trauma and necessary intentional surgical wounds to repair damage to the body. There may be multiple acute wounds in this case: those from the injury and those from the surgery. Keeping certain types of these wounds open for periods of time helps minimize the risk of infection before closing the wounds. Any surgical acute wound requires medical follow up and care to heal.

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