Abrasion Injuries
An abrasion is a superficial skin injury. There is no penetrating destruction into the subcutaneous tissue--the "scrape" involves the skin surface only. Abrasions are quite common injuries, and can be bothersome if extensive skin surfaces are involved, or if they become secondarily infected. Treatment includes thorough, but gentle, cleansing, with care given to the removal of any small foreign material that may be left in the wound. Pain from an abrasion can be decreased substantially by coating the wound with an antibiotic ointment and covering it with a light gauze dressing. After the first 24 hours the dressing is usually no longer needed. Cleansing and ointment applications must be performed 3 times a day. Healing will be accompanied by the formation of a "scab" that must be left undisturbed. Pain control may also be provided by acetaminophen, aspirin or an anti-inflammatory agent (ibuprofen).
Close attention for any signs of infection (increasing pain at the site, redness, red streaks spreading from the wound, and fever) is important. A tetanus shot will be required if it has been more than five years since a vaccination.
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