The aforementioned traumatic wounds can also be identified according to the following symptoms:

• Swelling around the wound
• Redness and/or bleeding
• Discharge from the wound
• Possible fever due to infection of the wound

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should consult a wound care specialist immediately. 

Traumatic wound management involves repairing damage to the underlying skin tissues, removing any foreign particles, and draining abscess from the wound. These will help prevent any infection and promote healing.

• An abrasion will be cleaned with a sterilised gauze pad soaked with saline solution. This helps to remove any debris from the wound. Most patients would also receive a tetanus shot to reduce the likelihood of tetanus infection.
• A laceration will be cleaned with a sterile solution to remove debris from the wound. Thereafter, an antibiotic gel will be applied to prevent infection and the wound will be wrapped in a sterile dressing to keep the wound clean and moisturised.
• A skin tear will be rinsed gently with tap water or saline solution. If the wound is bleeding, apply pressure and elevate as much as possible, before cleaning the wound. Pat dry the wound very carefully and gently place any existing skin flap back in place, or as close as possible. Wrap the skin tear with an appropriate dressing.
• A bite wound will be washed down with soap and water. If the wound is bleeding, pressure will be applied using a sterile gauze or a clean cloth. When the bleeding stops, an antibiotic ointment will be applied on the area and the wound will be wrapped in a bandage or sterile gauze.
• A penetration wound may require surgical repair. The surgery will be carried out under general anesthesia where the wound will be stitched and a surgical bandage applied to protect the wound during recovery.
  The treatment of burns depends on the degree of burn sustained. Most minor burns can be treated at home with cool compress and moisturiser. More severe burns may require a specialist’s attention.

Following your recovery, you may find that some wounds leave behind scars. Some scars are more obvious than others, depending on the severity of injury sustained and timeliness of treatment administered.

Traumatic wound treatment may leave behind scars. Among scar classifications, there are keloid scars, contracture scars, and hypertrophic scars that can result from traumatic wounds.

• An overly aggressive healing process can cause keloid scars. These scars extend beyond the original injury and may hamper movement.
• Contracture scars are the result of burn wounds. They may go deeper, affecting muscles and nerves.
• Hypertrophic scars are similar to keloid scars but do not go beyond the boundary of the injury.

Scar treatment in Singapore includes a myriad of techniques.

For one, silicone gel and sheets are effective in improving the texture, colour, and heigh of scars. Silicone helps to hydrate scars and has been proven to soften them while reducing itch and discomfort. The gel can be applied twice a day while the sheets can be worn for as many hours a day as possible.

One popular method is the use of lasers to remove the outermost layers of skin, where the scar has formed, to improve appearance. A combination of laser-surfacing techniques, together with the use of skin fillers, can be used to treat scars that sit below the surface of the skin.

You may get steroid injections to treat bumpy scars. This method can be used on its own or combined with other treatments.

Plastic surgery may be considered depending on the severity of the scars.