Types of Wounds

Open wounds are with exposed underlying tissues / organs and open to the outside environment like Puncture wounds, surgical wounds and incision bites and stings, gunshots.

Closed wounds are the wounds that occurs without any exposure to underlying tissues and organs like abrasion, Laceration, Blisters, seroma, Hernatoma, crush injuries.

Ulcers are third type of wounds and can be classified as under:

• Pressure Injuries Also known as bed sores, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers. These wounds cause when there is pressure / or shearing force on the skin. The people who are more prone to this chronic wound are with limited mobility due to medical illness or unable to walk, move all parts of the body to different position.
• Diabetic Ulcers These ulcers are generally on the feet and as result of changes to nerves and circulation in body caused by diabetes. It includes Neuropathic, Ischaemic and Neuro – ischaemic.

The most common complication from wound healing is infection. If injection is not treated it can cause cellulitis which can spread to underlying tissues and bone, a condition known as osteomyelitis which can further lead to amputation. Infected wounds can also lead to sepsis, which can cause organ failure and death.

The burden of wound management is growing rapidly as precursor condition as diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease became more prevalent. Risk factor that delay wound healing includes bacterial infections, nutritional deficiencies, certain drug such as corticosteroids immune suppressant and antineoplastic and the anatomical site of wound. But unsuccessful wound response due to development of resistance by microbes and side effect of medication have led to search for alternative treatments for chronic wounds.

In Ayurveda chronic wound is called Vrana. These are sub categorized into SadyoVrana
( Acute wound) and DustaVrana (Chronic wound)described as difficult to heal with symptons of bad odour, abnormal color with profuse discharge and severe pain.

Susruta, father of surgery described etipathogenesis of wound along with their treatments. His primary approach involves Sodhana (Purification) and Ropana (healing) of Vrana (wound).

Various medical plants are prescribed under term Vranaropak (wound healing agent) as local application along with oral administration of herbs.

According to Susrut theory we have developed Ayurvedic Medicine based on herbs to heal wounds.