An abrasion is a partial thickness

wound A wound is any disruption of or damage to living tissue, such as skin, mucous membranes, or organs. Wounds can either be the sudden result of direct trauma (mechanical, thermal, chemical), or can develop slowly over time due to underlying diseas ...

caused by damage to the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

. It can be superficial, which involves only the epidermis, or deep, which involves the deep dermis. Abrasions usually involve minimal bleeding.McCurnin, D.M. & Bassert, J. M. (2010) Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians. 7th Edition. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier. pg 1243-1244 Mild abrasions, also known as ''grazes'' or ''scrapes'', do not

scar A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrosis, fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other Organ (anatomy), organs, and biological tissue, t ...

or bleed because the dermis is left intact, but deep abrasions that disrupt the normal dermal structures may lead to the formation of scar tissue. A more traumatic abrasion that removes all layers of skin is called an avulsion. Abrasion injuries most commonly occur when exposed skin comes into moving contact with a rough surface, causing a grinding or rubbing away of the upper layers of the epidermis.

By degree

* A first-degree abrasion involves only epidermal injury. * A second-degree abrasion involves the epidermis as well as the dermis and may bleed slightly. * A third-degree abrasion involves damage to the subcutaneous layer and the skin and is often called an '' avulsion''.

Treatment

The abrasion should be cleaned and any debris removed. A topical

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

(such as

neomycin Neomycin, also known as framycetin, is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that displays bactericidal activity against Gram-negative aerobic bacilli and some anaerobic bacilli where resistance has not yet arisen. It is generally not effective against ...

bacitracin Bacitracin is a polypeptide antibiotic. It is a mixture of related cyclic peptides produced by '' Bacillus licheniformis'' bacteria, that was first isolated from the variety "Tracy I" ( ATCC 10716) in 1945. These peptides disrupt Gram-positiv ...

) should be applied to prevent infection and to keep the wound moist.Kidd, P. S., Sturt, P. A., & Fultz, J. (2000). ''Mosby's emergency nursing reference'' (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby, Inc. Dressing the wound is beneficial because it helps keep the wound from drying out, providing a moist environment conducive for

healing With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells ...

. If the abrasion is painful, a topical

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

(such as

lidocaine Lidocaine, also known as lignocaine and sold under the brand name Xylocaine among others, is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type. It is also used to treat ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. When used for local anae ...

benzocaine Benzocaine, sold under the brand name Orajel amongst others, is a local anesthetic, belonging to the amino ester drug class, commonly used as a topical painkiller or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter ...

) can be applied, but for large abrasions, a systemic analgesic may be necessary. Avoid exposing abraded skin to the sun as permanent

hyperpigmentation Hyperpigmentation, also known as the dark spots or circles on the skin, is the darkening of an area of Human skin, skin or nail (anatomy), nails caused by increased melanin. Causes Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, inflammation, or ...

can develop.

Healing

The gallery below shows the healing process for an abrasion on the palm caused by sliding on concrete. File:Hand Abrasion - 32 minutes after injury.JPG, 32 minutes after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 16 hours 45 minutes after injury.JPG, 17 hours after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 1 day 19 hours 32 minutes after injury.JPG, 43 hours after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 2 days 22 hours 12 minutes after injury.JPG, 3 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 12 days 23 hours 24 minutes after injury.JPG, 13 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 13 days 15 hours 30 minutes after injury.JPG, 14 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 17 days 11 hours 30 minutes after injury.JPG, 17 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 18 days 11 hours 43 minutes after injury.JPG, 18 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 21 days 18 hours 21 minutes after injury.JPG, 22 days after injury File:Hand Abrasion - 30 days 4 hours 43 minutes after injury.JPG, 30 days after injury

References

External links

{{Authority control Skin conditions resulting from physical factors

By degree

Treatment

Healing

See also

References

External links