Have you ever experienced a deep cut on your thumb, your leg, or anywhere else on your body? Injuries such as this may require a wound to be packed properly. This helps to prevent infection from spreading as well as promote efficient wound healing.
What is wound care and packing?
Wounds are a form of injury in which the skin is torn, cut, or punctured by a sharp object or as a result of blunt force.
Wounds usually don’t require any medical assistance, and the skin heals on its own.
However, there are instances when a wound involves deep tissues and requires special medical assistance. Under such cases, a healthcare professional may opt for special treatment for this deeper wound. This whole process is called wound packing.
Wound packing is a technique that is used to fill a deep wound with materials that favor wound closure from the inside out.
Purpose
In case of some deep wound injuries, a healthcare professional may need to apply a special dressing, or packing, to the wound.
This packing helps the wound heal more quickly and reduces the chances of bacteria dwelling inside the wound. When the wound is properly packed, the packing material absorbs any liquid draining from the wound, which helps the tissue to heal from the inside out.
If the wound is not packed or taken care of, then it may heal from the top only and won’t heal more deeply inside. This can lead to severe infections as well as other complications. For these reasons wound packing and care are essential.
The most important purposes of wound packing include:
- Filling dead spaces in the skin
- Aiding in the removal of debris and exudate
- Encouraging the growth of granulation tissue (healthy healing tissue) from the wound base
- Preventing abscess formation
How is wound packing done?
There are different packing materials used and the choice depends on the type of the wound/injury.
Commonly used packing material like gauze sheets and packing tape should fill the dead spaces comfortably. Sterile gauze is the most common material that is used to pack a wound. Wound packing is fairly simple, but it should be done under the supervision of an experienced healthcare professional.
Usually, the area of the wound is first cleaned and then an antibacterial solution is applied. After that, the wound packing material is placed into the wound and then it is packed tightly. A saline solution may also be applied.
After the initial packing, wound care is required. Some wounds should be kept dry all the time so you may have to limit the use of water. In some cases, you will have to change the dressing at home. These details will be provided by the healthcare provider after the packing is complete.
Follow-up care
Your doctor will check if you need repacking of the wound or not. Follow-up may also be required to check the healing of the wound.
Contact us
In case of urgent medical care assistance, AfterOurs Urgent Care offers immediate telemedicine services, where medical providers are available to offer assistance. Anyone who experiences signs and symptoms requiring urgent medical attention can simply book their appointment with AfterOurs Urgent Care to directly talk to an expert. If your medical issue is not appropriate for telemedicine, we will let you know and refer you to an in-person facility.
Wound packing services are available at AfterOurs Urgent Care.