What is a surgical wound?
In simple terms, a surgical wound refers – a cut or incision in the skin that is usually made by a scalpel during surgery. A surgical wound can also be the result of a drain placed during surgery. Surgical wounds differ greatly in size. They are usually closed with sutures, but in certain instances left open to heal.
What are the types of surgical wounds?
Surgical wounds can be divided into one of four categories. These categories rely on how contaminated or clean the wound is, the probability of infection, and where the wound is located on the body.
Class I: These are regarded clean wounds. They depict no signs of infection or inflammation. They usually comprise – the eye, skin, or vascular system.
Class II: These wounds are regarded clean-contaminated. Although the wound may not depicted signs of infection, it is at an elevated risk of becoming infected because of its site/location. For instance, surgical wounds in the gastrointestinal tract may be at a high risk/chances of becoming infected.
Class III: A surgical wound in which an outside object/entity has come into contact with the skin has a high probability of infection and is regarded a contaminated wound. For instance, a gunshot wound may contaminate the skin around where the surgical repair occurs.
Class IV: This class of wound is regarded dirty-contaminated. These comprises wounds that have been exposed to fecal material.
Causes
Surgical wounds are created when a surgeon makes an incision or cut with a surgical instrument known as scalpel. A wide variety of medical circumstances need surgery. The size of a wound relies on the type of procedure and site/location on the body.
Symptoms And Diagnosis
Surgical wounds are frequently monitored to make sure they are healing properly. Infections may impact only the skin, tissue beneath the skin, or implants, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Signs of a surgical wound infection comprise:
- elevated pain and redness around the wound
- delayed healing
- the presence of pus
- a foul smell, or drainage from the wound
In few cases, an infected surgical wound can appear dried out or deeper. Fever may also be a predominant manifestation or symptom.
Healthcare professional can diagnose a surgical wound infection by
a) examining the wound,
b) assessing symptoms, or
c) taking a culture of fluid drained from the wound.
D-Fibroheal Wound Aid Port Dressing
Can be used in the case of surgical wound – its a sterile, transparent, water-proof, silk protein and antimicrobial silver-based transparent wound dressing with an absorbent pad and adhesive backing, specially designed for surgical incision ports, providing both antimicrobial protection as well as enhances rapid healing.