Traumatic Wounds

Traumatic wounds range from lacerations to punctures and other deep wounds. At Rocky Mountain Wound Care Specialists in Loveland, Colorado, premier certified physician wound specialist Amy Pate, MD, MPH, CWSP, offers individualized wound care to help you start healing, avoid infection, and get back to your regular lifestyle. To learn more about traumatic wound healing, call the office or book your appointment online today.

What are traumatic wounds?

Traumatic wounds are cuts, punctures, tears, or other injuries affecting the skin and the layers of tissue underneath. This type of wound occurs suddenly and generally requires immediate care to facilitate proper healing and full recovery.  

What causes traumatic wounds?

Traumatic wounds can happen in many ways, including:

• Animal bites
• Accidental knife cuts
• Stepping on sharp objects like nails
• Stabbing
• Gunshots
• Deep abrasions from glass, metal, sand, or other abrasive materials

While all traumatic wounds can be serious, penetrating wounds—punctures that move through the skin and multiple layers of subcutaneous tissues—are generally most severe.

What are the signs that a traumatic wound needs advanced wound care? 

Some traumatic wounds may heal naturally if properly cleaned and protected. But, in some cases, you could need advanced wound care. Some signs that a wound isn’t healing well include: 

• Delayed healing
• Wound growing deeper or larger
• Wound discharge
• Bright or dark red skin
• Increased pain
• Wound is hot to the touch

Running a temperature is another sign of trouble, as it can indicate an infected wound. When a traumatic wound develops an infection, it can cause tissue necrosis (death of the skin in and around the wound) and additional damage to the tissue and bones underneath the wound. An infected traumatic wound could lead to limb loss without proper wound care. 

How are traumatic wounds treated?

Traumatic wounds require a tailored approach based on the tissues affected, the wound's depth, location, and other facets of your situation. Premier-certified physician wound care specialist Dr. Pate personally evaluates your needs and works with you to design a recovery path. 

The practice offers: 

• Offloading to redistribute your weight and ease pressure on the wound
• Debridement to remove dead tissue from the traumatic wound
• Total contact casting to prevent pressure on diabetic foot ulcers
• Negative pressure wound therapy to remove fluid from wounds
• Compression therapy to provide constant support of venous ulcers

• Epifix® membrane to act as a skin substitute during wound healing
• Skin grafts to replace the wound’s musculoskeletal tissue foundation 

Wound therapy takes place in the office, so you can skip the hospital wound care centers (and their sky-high facility fees). You’ll see your doctor at every visit and have ongoing support as you recover from your traumatic wound. 

To get help with a traumatic wound, call the experts at Rocky Mountain Wound Care Specialists or book an appointment through online scheduling today.