Puncture wounds, mouth

Mouth | General Practice | Puncture wounds, mouth (Disease)


Description

A person with a puncture wound has an opening through the skin, caused by a sharp object. The object pierces the skin and enters the tissue beneath the skin surface.

Symptoms of a puncture wound include a laceration, with pain, swelling, numbness, redness, or bruising around the puncture wound. Additional findings may include pus draining from the wound, or a wound foreign body.

Causes and Risk factors

Common causes of puncture wounds are wood splinters, pins, nails, and glass. Puncture wounds may also be caused by objects such as scissors and knives. Almost any sharp object can potentially cause a puncture wound.

Puncture wounds have a higher risk for infection than abrasions and lacerations.

Diagnosis and Treatment

When the doctor evaluates a mouth puncture wound it is important to determine if the wound has injured a blood vessel or a nerve.

Treatment for a puncture wound includes wound irrigation, wound cleansing, and exploration of the wound. Additional treatment may include removal of a wound foreign body, wound repair, antibiotics, or tetanus vaccination. A severe puncture wound may require surgery to repair damaged tissue. ...