Wound Management - Questions You Need to Ask

Of all the skills taught on our Wound Management course, wound assessment is among the most important. You can't just scramble onto the pitch and start suturing; you first need to inspect the injury in question, making an informed decision about how best to proceed.

Here are some of the questions you need to ask before commencing wound treatment:

• Can I treat the wound here on the field? Our Wound Management course mainly focuses on sports wounds, most of which will be sustained on the field of play. While some cuts can be dealt with straight away, it may not be appropriate to treat a serious wound right there on the turf. Wounds get infected all too easily, and playing fields are hardly the most sanitary of environments!
• Which method of wound closure would be most appropriate? There are several different ways to close a wound – sutures, staples, glue – and they’re all useful in different situations. One of the things we explain on the course is how to choose the right method for the right wound and ensure that your patient recovers as quickly as possible.
• Does the player need any further treatment? If you’ve ever watched a rugby match on TV, you’ve probably seen someone sustain an injury, receive treatment, and then head straight back out onto the pitch. This is fine in some cases – after all, we don’t want the team to lose their star player if it’s not absolutely necessary – but some injuries will require more extensive treatment. The player may even need to be sent to A&E; making these decisions is a huge part of effective wound management, and we explain it all on the course. Click here for details.