Which term includes contusion, abrasion, laceration, penetrating, avulsion, and burn?

• A. Open wound
• B. Surgical wound
• C. Closed wound
• D. Traumatic wound

Answer: (D)

Wounds caused by external physical injury are described as traumatic wounds. This umbrella term includes a range of forms produced by blunt or sharp force, heat, chemicals, or other trauma: contusions (bruises with intact skin), abrasions (superficial skin loss), lacerations (tears in tissue with irregular edges), penetrating wounds (an object enters the body), avulsions (tissue torn away), and burns (tissue damage from heat or other sources). An open wound simply means there is a break in the skin, which doesn’t cover contusions, and a closed wound has intact skin, which excludes lacerations, penetrating injuries, and many burns. A surgical wound is specifically an incision made by a clinician. Since the listed injuries all stem from trauma rather than surgery, traumatic wound best encompasses them all.