Trauma

Trauma is defined as any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture.  Based on that definition, as Trauma Wound would be an incidental wound stemming from a traumatic event and not having as a cause an other factor described by a different wound type.  Note that as people age, their skin becomes thinner and less protective so that the level of trauma sufficient to cause a wound in the elderly population may be less than in a younger population.

In order to appropriately establish wound type and etiology, a thorough wound assessment should be completed as required by state and federal guidelines.

This thorough initial wound assessment or wound reassessment (as a component of a wound status change) is described AHS’ Assessment Guideline. It requires a detailed assessment of the whole patient and their history as well as other factors including duration of the wound, patient’s recollection of the causative factors, complaints of pain, fever, numbness or drainage.