Please close this skin wound

Acute cutaneous wounds following trauma are commonly encountered in the emergency department. This article explains the principles of their closure and provides advice on optimal management. Wound healing occurs in four phases: haemostatic, inflammatory, proliferative and maturation (Janis et al, 2010). The guidance below is based on the authors' personal practice, designed to promote transition through these stages and result in optimized healing with minimal scarring. It is intended to guide the reader through what can be a daunting prospect for many doctors in training: the acute closure of simple wounds.