Wounds (HB)

Wounds can take many forms, but all wounds disrupt the skin and involve the soft tissues beneath.

When a wound is created and blood vessels are severed, a process begins. In normal conditions with a healthy person, the bleed stops through a process of constricting the blood vessels and forming a clot. A clot should form in 10-20 minutes, but we can assist with the process by applying direct pressure. The clotting process works best with lower pressure since the components can get washed away with more pressure.

After bleeding has stopped, the body starts to repair the wound. A scab forms (which is basically a bandage), and the body attempts to clean the wound cavity by pushing debris out. This generally takes a few days.

Wounds may become a little red around the edges, be tender to the touch, and have minor swelling. This is normal and should be expected—it is part of the healing process.

After about a week, the wound edges start closing, and a scar will begin to form. The wound will continue to close over the next few days and weeks until the entire injury is healed and new tissue is grown. This timeline assumes that the area does not get reinjured or contaminated.

We need to keep the scab intact and prevent it from getting wet. Otherwise, healing will be delayed, and the wound can become infected.

If the wound was grossly contaminated, to begin with, the body might be unable to fully clean it without help. We can help this process by cleaning the wound within the first couple of hours of injury. We will discuss wound cleaning (one of the Extended Transport Protocols) in a later topic.