"
It's just a flesh wound," the hero said as he rode off into the sunset, his garment spattered with
ketchup.
Perhaps, but wounds take many forms, and a mere flesh wound can lead to fatal blood loss under the wrong conditions. You can get hurt in so many different ways:
- Abrasion: Commonly known as a scrape, an abrasion is simply a superficial, open wound in which the skin has been rubbed away by friction with another surface.
- Contusion: Just a fancy way of saying bruise. A contusion is a closed wound; the skin remains unbroken but bleeding occurs beneath. Contusions often arise from contact sports such as football, rugby, and bar fights.
- Incision: A cut with smooth edges, caused by a sharp implement such as a knife or piece of glass. Bleeding can be severe if the wound is deep enough, but incisions are usually easy to repair.
- Laceration: A jagged-edged, open wound caused by a blunt object meeting the body with great force. Lacerations are often severe, bleed profusely and become easily infected.
- Puncture: A deep wound caused by a narrow, pointed object such as a knife (likely a thin, stiletto-type blade in this case) or nail. Bleeding is usually light, but objects can remain embedded in the flesh, and the risk of infection is high.
- Avulsion: Skin and underlying flesh are violently torn from the body. Avulsions, commonly caused by animal bites and explosions, are severe traumas that require immediate medical attention.
- Amputation: A body part, flesh, bones and all, becomes detached from the rest of the body. Amputations are obviously dire injuries, and often result from industrial accidents. Get thee to a hospital.