Abrasion (medicine)
Clinical
Features
Variants
Images
Differential
Histology
Features
Variants
Images
Differential
Pathophysiology
Epidemiology
Associations
Workup
Labs
Imaging
Diagnostic criteria
Management
Treatment
Monitoring
Counseling
Other considerations
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2023) |
| Abrasion (medical) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abrasion on the palm of a right hand, shortly after falling |
An abrasion is a partial thickness wound caused by damage to the skin.[1] It can be superficial, which involves only the epidermis, or deep, which involves the deep dermis. Abrasions usually involve minimal bleeding.[2] Mild abrasions, also known as grazes or scrapes, do not scar or bleed because the dermis is left intact, but deep abrasions that disrupt the normal dermal structures may lead to the formation of scar tissue. A more traumatic abrasion that removes all layers of skin is called an avulsion.
Abrasion injuries most commonly occur when exposed skin comes into moving contact with a rough surface, causing a grinding or rubbing away of the upper layers of the epidermis.
By degree
- A first-degree abrasion involves only epidermal injury.
- A second-degree abrasion involves the epidermis as well as the dermis and may bleed slightly.
- A third-degree abrasion involves damage to the subcutaneous layer and the skin and is often called an avulsion.
Treatment
The abrasion should be cleaned and any debris removed. A topical antibiotic (such as neomycin or bacitracin) should be applied to prevent infection and to keep the wound moist.[3] Dressing the wound is beneficial because it helps keep the wound from drying out, providing a moist environment conducive for healing.[4] If the abrasion is painful, a topical analgesic (such as lidocaine or benzocaine) can be applied, but for large abrasions, a systemic analgesic may be necessary.[3] Avoid exposing abraded skin to the sun as permanent hyperpigmentation can develop.
Healing
The gallery below shows the healing process for an abrasion on the palm caused by sliding on concrete.
- Hand Abrasion - 32 minutes after injury.JPG
32 minutes after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 16 hours 45 minutes after injury.JPG
17 hours after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 1 day 19 hours 32 minutes after injury.JPG
43 hours after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 2 days 22 hours 12 minutes after injury.JPG
3 days after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 12 days 23 hours 24 minutes after injury.JPG
13 days after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 13 days 15 hours 30 minutes after injury.JPG
14 days after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 17 days 11 hours 30 minutes after injury.JPG
17 days after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 18 days 11 hours 43 minutes after injury.JPG
18 days after injury
- Hand Abrasion - 21 days 18 hours 21 minutes after injury.JPG
22 days after injury
30 days after injury
See also
References
- ↑ James, William D.; Elston, Dirk; Treat, James R.; Rosenbach, Misha A.; Neuhaus, Isaac (2020). "2. Cutaneous signs and diagnosis". Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (13th ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-323-54753-6. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ↑ McCurnin, D.M. & Bassert, J. M. (2010) Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians. 7th Edition. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier. pg 1243-1244
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kidd, P. S., Sturt, P. A., & Fultz, J. (2000). Mosby's emergency nursing reference (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby, Inc.
- ↑ Singer, Adam J. (2022-08-03). "Abrasions". Merck Manual Professional Edition. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Dermatology
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hatnote templates targeting a nonexistent page
- Articles needing additional references from April 2023
- Articles with invalid date parameter in template
- All articles needing additional references
- Medical condition not in Wikidata
- Commons category link is the pagename
- Skin conditions resulting from physical factors
