1. Soft Tissue Injuries

2. Soft Tissue Injury – injury to one or more tissues and/or surrounding bones and joints
Includes: skin, veins, fascia, arteries
AND cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles (next unit)
Can occur alone or accompany a fracture

3. Wounds are either closed or open
Open: breaks skin or mucous membrane
Closed: Does not break skin
Open wounds all need sometime of first aid
Control bleeding
Prevent infection

4. Abrasion Open wound, outer layer has been scrapped off Treatment:
Wash area with soap and scrub out dirt
Flush with water
Dress wound with antibiotic ointment and keep covered
Keep eye out for further infection or blood poisoning (red streaks)

5. Lacerations Tear in the skin Treatment: Can be minor or very deep
Can extend to muscles, nerves, and ligaments
Treatment:
Clean with soap and water
Compression dressing
Possible stitches or surgery

6. Puncture Wound Pointed object directly pierces soft tissue Treatment:
Most susceptible to infection
Treatment:
Do not remove object
Clean with soap and water
Stabilize the object and dressing
Get medical help
If wood splinter: DO NOT soak in water (wood decomposes)

7. Incision A clean, straight, knife like cut Treatment:
Can be deep and cut into other tissues
Treatment:
Clean with soap and water
Pull edges together and hold with butterfly stitches

8. Avulsions
A soft tissue injury in which tissue is torn loose or missing
If flap of skin is removed but can be found, save it
Treatment:
Clean with soap and water
Use compression bandage to dress wound
If you have detached skin, keep in saline soaked gauze and keep on ice

9. Calluses
A thickened, usually painless, area of skin caused by friction or pressure
Treatment:
Use pumice stone to file off the thick skin
Stop friction that is causing callus

10. Blisters
A bubble-like collection of fluid beneath the epidermis of the skin
Treatment:
Clean area and place donut pad around blister to disperse pressure

11. Bites Can occur from insects, animals, or humans Treatment:
Can result in puncture wounds, lacerations, or avulsions
Insects can carry diseases or be poisonous
Animal bites can transfer rabies
Treatment:
Watch for further complications

12. Hematomas A blood-filled swollen area Treatment: Closed wounds
Bruising will occur
Typically there is significant trauma to surrounding tissue
Treatment:
ICE – Ice, compression, elevation
When icing, only apply ice for 20 mins, then give 1 hour rest

13. Contusions Injury caused by seepage of blood into tissue, bruising
Caused by a sudden blow to the tissue, resulting in internal bleeding
Treatment:
ICE

14. Skin Infections Many times, infections occur on the skins surface
Examples: athletes foot, ringworm, impetigo

15. Dermatophytes – fungus that grows on top of skin
Examples: ringworm, yeast infection, athletes foot
Ringworm and athletes foot are highly contagious
Fungus likes to grow in warm, moist environments
Treatment:
Antifungal sprays or creams
Air out
BUT if competing – must cover up

16. Herpes – viral infection that affects the skin
Different varieties of herpes
Chicken pox, shingles, upstairs & downstairs
Highly contagious
Treatment:
None

17. Papilloma virus – causes warts
Highly contagious
Common on fingers and toes
Treatment:
See a doctor
Typically they can freeze off

18. Impetigo – bacterial infection on surface of skin
Highly contagious
Treatment:
Antibiotics
Remove from contact sports