What is the difference between laceration and abrasion

Though muscle and bone contusions are the most common form of contusions, serious injuries, often resulting from car accidents, may cause contusions of internal organs; such as the lungs, heart, kidney, spleen, and brain.

Abrasions and Lacerations, also relatively minor in most instances, often result from auto accidents. Abrasions, a milder form of injury compared to lacerations, involve the scraping away of a layer of the skin, usually caused by friction with a rough surface. Lacerations wounds are more severe, and deeper tears of the skin. However, both can be equally severe in auto accidents, especially if left untreated or improperly treated. The most common complication resulting from abrasions and lacerations is an infection.

Numbness, tingling, pain, and excessive bleeding are common signs that the wound may be infected, or becoming infected. Thus, it is a more superficial the most superficial type of wound. Lacerations, on the contrary, are deeper wounds. These are the full thickness wounds whereby the entire skin is penetrated by a jagged edge like a broken piece of glass or bottle. There is blunt trauma involved.

In line with the degree of penetration, abrasions only reach the epidermal skin layer. Abrasions often result from activities involving friction or rubbing forces as in the case of an athlete rubbing the skin of his arms to the surface of a rough cemented wall. In other aspects, an abrasion can also involve not only the skin but also the eyes. Corneal abrasions take place when the cornea of the eye the structure covering the iris is scraped off.

Lacerations can reach far deeper by reaching the fatty layers and even the muscles below it. The lacerated area will usually pour out some blood as well because the skin is literally opened up. Because of the nature of the wound, abrasions would obviously take less time to heal. With the provision of topical antibiotics , any undue infection is warded off, leaving the skin healed in a matter of days.

The healing and treatment for lacerations are more complicated because it may require careful suturing aside from taking oral or injectable antibiotics. In the end, lacerations have the higher tendency of leaving permanent scars compared to abrasions. Note that multiple open wound types can result from a single source of trauma. A bite from a large dog can cause a crush injury, which may lead to lacerations, puncture wounds and avulsion.

By using the correct terms for open wounds, you can communicate clearly and efficiently with your team, giving them an accurate understanding of the wound being treated.

Her specialties include content creation, social media and brand clarity. As an eight-time Wild On Wounds conference staff member and an alumna of WCEI's training program for wound care marketing professionals, she loves the exceptional passion of clinicians who treat wounds.

She frequently finds herself advising friends and family to keep their minor wounds warm and moist. Subscribe to receive our newsletter to your inbox.

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