skinjuries and healing Flashcards
(26 cards)
why was skin made to heal?
to prevent microorganisms from entering the broken barrier
what does the speed of which skin heals depend on?
the type of injury and whether it is parallel or perpendicular to the lines of cleavage
what are acute injuries?
injuries that tend to heal quickly and are without complications
what are chronic injuries?
injuries that take longer to heal and usually have complications associated with them
how are burns caused?
when the skin comes in contact with extreme temperature differences, radiation, chemicals, or electricity
describe first-degree burns
- more superficial and only affects the epidermis
- quick healing and no scars
- redness, pain, and swelling
describe second-degree burns
- affects the epidermis and some of the dermis (but not blood vessels or neurons)
- minimal scarring
- redness, pain, swelling, formation of blisters
describe third-degree burns
- affects epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis
- destroys blood vessels and neurons
- lots of scarring
- blackened and numbed skin
- highly susceptible to infections and gangrene
describe lacerations. do they scar?
caused by blunt force trauma; tends to scar due to jagged edges left by the injury
describe incisions. do they scar?
caused by clean cuts made by tools; scarring varies due to the lines of cleavage
describe abrasions. do they scar?
occur when the skin is sanded or scraped off; usually no scarring if it isn’t too deep
describe avulsions. do they scar?
occurs when the skin gets peeled off; usually the skin can be reattached and scarring can occur
describe punctures. do they scar?
occurs when a sharp object is stabbed into the body; small scars may occur as the wound is deeper than wide (which can also raise the risk of infection)
what is stage one of the healing process? when does it begin?
inflammatory response; immediately after the injury occurs
what happens during inflammation?
the skin gets red and swells (due to more blood flow), the skin feels warm to the touch (to kill pathogens), sends pain stimuli
what happens during inflammation?
the skin gets red and swells (due to more blood flow), the skin feels warm to the touch (to kill pathogens), and sends pain stimuli
what is the purpose of inflammation?
to isolate the injured area and to bring in cells and materials to clear out microorganisms and begin healing
what is stage two of the healing process?
clotting
describe the process of clotting
platelets in the blood are activated to form a clot that will stop the bleeding and form a scab to protect what’s underneath; stem cells from the stratum basale divide to start filling in the gap
what are macrophages?
white blood cells that are brought in during stage two to consume and destroy any microorganisms or debris
what is stage three of the healing process?
regeneration of the dermis
what is mass-produced to help fix the dermis in stage three? what is happening to scabs and blood vessels at the same time?
collagen; scabs get broken down and blood vessels self-repair
what is stage four of the healing process?
scarring
what forms scars?
large amounts of collagen will push from deeper in the skin toward the surface
