Wounds are common injuries that one can get in their daily activities. Commonly, wounds are not something most people would care about since it is seen as a harmless condition (not unless an individual is diabetic).
However, can you believe that there is much more to a mere wound? When wounds appear, the surface of the injured area is susceptible to outside exposure. With this said, a wound infection might develop due to germs, like bacteria that grow within the damaged skin of the wound.
In this article, we discuss how you can prevent and treat an infected wound. Yet, we will focus mostly on the things that you should know about silver sulfadiazine, an antibiotic for wound infections.
Different Types of Open Wounds
For average people (those who do not know any medical knowledge), one would just say a wound is just a wound. However, for medical practitioners, open wounds are categorized into different types, which are all classified depending on their cause.
Here are the following different types of open wounds that includes the following:
Abrasion. The abrasion type of wound occurs when the skin scrapes or rubs against a rough surface. It is a very common injury that one can get from any part of the body, which can be ranged from mild to severe.
Abrasions can be painful since it is usually exposed to the skin’s nerve endings. However, this type of wound does not typically cause much bleeding and can be treated at home.
Laceration. This type of open wound is the opposite of abrasion since this is a deep cut or tearing of the skin. In these cases, deep lacerations can cause bleeding that is both rapid and extensive.
Puncture. From the word itself, puncture, this type of wound is a small hole that is caused by a long and pointy object. An example of this is nails and needles.
Puncture wound-type may not bleed much, yet the wounds can be deep enough actually to damage an individual’s internal organs. Now, if you have even a small puncture wound, then do yourself a favor and visit your doctor to get a tetanus shot and avoid infection.
Avulsion. This type of wound is the tearing away of the skin and the tissue beneath, may it be partially or completely. Avulsions usually happen due to violent accidents like explosions, gunshots, and crash accidents. This wound lets someone bleed heavily and rapidly.
There are instances when avulsion fracture occurs due to unprecedented accidents which lead to the detachment of a tendon or ligament.
Knowing Silver Sulfadiazine
Silver sulfadiazine is a medication for treating infected wounds in the form of a prescription cream which can be bought with a silver sulfadiazine coupon. It belongs to a class of drugs that are known as sulfa antibiotics.
Now, this medication is used with other treatments to help prevent and treat wound infections in patients that have serious burns/wounds. This medicine works by stopping the growth of the bacteria that spreads and can infect an open wound.
It primarily helps in decreasing the risk of bacteria spreading to surrounding skin, or to the blood in which it might cause a serious blood infection, also known as sepsis.
Possible Side Effects of Silver Sulfadiazine
Like any other medicines, silver sulfadiazine has its side effects that one might encounter. Side effects like pain, burning, or itching of the treated skin might occur. On the other hand, the skin and mucous membrane might become gray or blue in color.
Now, take note that if ever you are worried about the said side effects, then you just have to remember that your doctor has prescribed you this medication since your doctor has judged that the benefit that you will get from this medication is greater than the risk of the said side effects.
Reminder, if the symptoms persist or worsens, then tell your doctor as soon as you can. Additionally, if you have any of these rare, yet serious infections with symptoms of fever, chills, sore throat, easy bleeding/bruising, fatigue, rapid breathing, and fast heartbeat signs. Then the more that you should address it to your doctor,
Drug Interactions with Silver Sulfadiazine
First things first, if you’re a doctor has already directed you to use this medication and has instructed you about it, then you should follow it all the throughout. Things like drug interaction will be commonly be told to you by your healthcare provider.
Lastly, do not start, stop, or adjust your dosage of any medicine. If you want to, then you should ask for your doctor’s approval first.
So, here are the drug interactions with silver sulfadiazine:
• Papain
• Collagenase
• Trypsin
The information is written above about drug interactions does not contain all possible interactions or effects due to negligence. However, surely it has come to light that you need to know information about the products and medications that you use.
To read more on topics like this, check out the life category.
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