The key difference between laceration and abrasion is that laceration occurs due to a deep cut or tearing of the skin by things like knives, tools, or machinery, while abrasion occurs due to the scraping of the skin against a rough or hard surface.
An open wound is an external or internal break in the body tissue. The common causes of open wounds are falls, accidents with sharp objects, and car accidents. There are different types of open wounds, such as laceration, abrasion, puncture, and avulsion.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Laceration
3. What is Abrasion
4. Similarities – Laceration and Abrasion
5. Laceration vs Abrasion in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Laceration vs Abrasion
What is a Laceration?
A laceration occurs due to a deep cut or tearing of the skin by things like knives, tools, machinery, or a shard of glass. It can also be caused by blunt trauma. A laceration is also known as a skin wound. In a laceration, none of the skin is missing. The symptoms of laceration include pain (mild to severe), bruising, bleeding, swelling, and skin discolouration. The complications caused by lacerations are infections, bleeding, and scarring.
Figure 01: Laceration
A laceration can be diagnosed through a visible skin examination. Furthermore, treatment options for laceration include stopping the bleeding through pressure, gauze or bandage, cleaning and dressing the wound, using stitches for deeper cuts to reduce bleeding and scarring, medicines such as tranexamic acid to stop bleeding, and pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Furthermore, minor lacerations heal within two weeks, and it takes up to three months for deep lacerations to fully heal.
What is an Abrasion?
An abrasion occurs due to the scraping of the skin against a rough or hard surface. It is a type of open wound with missing skin. Abrasion can range from mild to severe, and it is more common in places such as elbows, knees, shins, ankles, and upper extremities. The symptoms of abrasion include pain or irritation, bleeding, and damage to the dermis, epidermis, or deeper layer of the skin. The complications in this condition may include painful, irritated skin, foul-smelling discharges, green, yellow, or brown pus from the wound, fever, and a hard, painful lump under the armpit or groin area.
Figure 02: Abrasion
Moreover, abrasion can be diagnosed through physical or clinical examination. Treatment options for abrasion may include cleaning the area with cool lukewarm water, removing dirt or other particles using sterile tweezers, using cloth or bandage to apply gentle pressure to stop any bleeding, using pain relievers, covering the wound with a thin layer of topical antibiotics like Bacitracin or moisture barrier ointment like Aquaphor.
What are the Similarities Between Laceration and Abrasion?
- Laceration and abrasion are two different types of open wounds.
- Open wounds may cause similar symptoms, such as pain and bleeding.
- Both open wounds may cause complications such as infections.
- They are mainly treated by reducing pain, cleaning, and dressing wounds.
What is the Difference Between Laceration and Abrasion?
Laceration occurs due to a deep cut or tearing of the skin by things like knives, tools, or machinery, while abrasion occurs due to the scraping of the skin against a rough or hard surface. Thus, this is the key difference between laceration and abrasion. Furthermore, laceration is a more severe type of open wound, while abrasion is a less severe type of open wound.
The below infographic presents the differences between laceration and abrasion in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Laceration vs Abrasion
Laceration and abrasion are two different types of open wounds. They can be mild or severe. Laceration occurs due to a deep cut or tearing of the skin by things like knives, tools, or machinery, while abrasion occurs due to the scraping of the skin against a rough or hard surface. So, this is the key difference between laceration and abrasion.
Reference:
1. “Lacerations.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 19 Nov. 2019.
2. Jay, Kitty. “Abrasion: Home Treatment, Symptoms, Recovery, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 16 Sept. 2018.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Laceration, leg” By ClockFace – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Abrasion wound on arm” By ProjectManhattan – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia