title: [General principles of wound management in emergency departments].
abstract: Wound management is one of the major tasks in emergency departments. The surrounding intact skin but not the wound itself should be disinfected before starting definitive wound treatment. Hair should first be removed by clipping to 1-2 mm above the skin with scissors or clippers as shaving the area with a razor damages the hair follicles and increases the risk of wound infections. Administration of local anesthetics should be performed directly through the exposed edges of the wound. After wound examination, irrigation is performed with Ringer's solution, normal saline or distilled water. The next step is débridement of contaminated and devitalized tissue. There are several wound closure techniques available, including adhesive tapes, staples, tissue adhesives and numerous forms of sutures. Management of specific wounds requires particular strategies. A bleeding control problem frequently occurs with scalp lacerations. Superficial scalp lacerations can be closed by alternative wound closure methods, for example by twisting and fixing hair and the use of tissue adhesives, i.e. hair apposition technique (HAT). For strongly bleeding lacerations of the scalp, the epicranial aponeurosis should be incorporated into the hemostasis. Aftercare varies depending on both the characteristics of the wound and those of the patient and includes adequate analgesia as well as minimizing the risk of infection. Sufficient wound aftercare starts with the treating physician informing the patient about the course of events, potential complications and providing relevant instructions.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland. martina.zacher@tum.de.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Zacher
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Högele
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanschen
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Matthey
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biberthaler
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K-G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kanz
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D003646:Debridement; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006204:Hair Removal; D006801:Humans; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Bleeding; Debridement; Hair apposition technique; Local anesthesia; Wounds and injuries