The International Red Cross wound classification system is a system whereby certain features of a

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 ...

are scored: the size of the skin wound(s); whether there is a cavity,

fracture Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...

or vital structure injured; the presence or absence of metallic

foreign bodies A foreign body (FB) is any object originating outside the body of an organism. In machinery, it can mean any unwanted intruding object. Most references to foreign bodies involve propulsion through natural orifices into hollow organs. Foreign b ...

. A numerical value is given to each feature (E, X, C, F, V, and M). The scores can later be graded according to severity and typed according to the structures injured. This scoring system is intended for quick and easy use in the field. Wounds are scored after

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

or initial assessment. *E = (Entry) centimetres. Estimate the maximum diameter of the entry. *X = (eXit) centimetres. Estimate the maximum diameter of the exit (X = 0 if no exit). *C = (Cavity) Can the "cavity" of the wound take 2 fingers before surgery? No: C=0, Yes: C=1. :This may be obvious before operation or only established after skin incision. For

chest The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...

and

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

wounds it refers to the wound of the chest or

abdominal wall In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls. There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the vi ...

. *F = (Fracture) No fracture: F=0. Simple fracture, hole or insignificant

comminution Comminution is the reduction of solid materials from one average particle size to a smaller average particle size, by crushing, grinding, cutting, vibrating, or other processes. Comminution is related to pulverization and grinding. All use m ...

: F=1. Clinically significant comminution: F=2. *V = (Vital structure) Are

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

, viscera (breach of dura,

pleura The pleurae (: pleura) are the two flattened closed sacs filled with pleural fluid, each ensheathing each lung and lining their surrounding tissues, locally appearing as two opposing layers of serous membrane separating the lungs from the med ...

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesotheli ...

) or major vessels injured? No: V=0. Yes: V=1. *M = (Metallic body) Bullet or fragments visible on

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

. None: M=0. One metallic body: M=1. Multiple metallic bodies: M=2. The wound classification system has been criticised on the basis that "it fails to account for the

synergistic Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts (i.e., a non-linear addition of force, energy, or effect). The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' f ...

effect of

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...

employment on the battlefield. It erroneously assumes that each soldier will be injured or killed by only one type of weapon." The classification is typically found on hospital Trauma History and Examination Record forms and is used for classification of penetrating injuries on presenting patients.

References

* The Red Cross Wound Classification, R. Coupland, International Committee of the Red Cross Medical Division (https://shop.icrc.org/classification-croix-rouge-des-plaies-perforantes-pdf-en.html)

External links

Classification

Article Criticising
{{Authority control Medical scales International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement