1991 - Into the scuffle
Playing sports is the best way to learn about life. It teaches you about team spirit, but also how to improve yourself. And all the while having fun. You may get a few injuries, but no more than that. Maybe it’s no coincidence that my wife Maren used to play rugby. I like people who can fi ght for something.
Almost every child in Germany plays soccer. But I’ve always had different tastes. As a child, I used to swim at the club. It was competitive swimming, training five times a week, later ten times a week, with meets on the weekends. At 17, I got bored and started playing rugby. Heidelberg, the city where I grew up, is a center for rugby. There was a rugby team at my school that was training for a long tour in Scotland. I wanted in.
Rugby is a cool sport: fast, tactically complex and very physically challenging. I would always take it to the limit. You run, throw and fight. Some opponents were a head taller than me and twenty kilograms heavier. Stopping them at top speed takes technique, courage and concentration. The times I was able to do it, I got the feeling after the game that no one can beat me. It’s intense, for sure. But it’s not a brutal sport. If you foul someone, you apologize immediately. Unlike in football, no one complains to the referee or sulks around. After the game, you go drink a beer with the opposing team
and have a good time.
Like any other sport, people sometimes get injured playing rugby. I played in the first and second Bundesliga and there were times when my teammates would suffer torn ligaments or injure their ribs. I myself have never had a serious injury. But of course I used to scrape my knee or my elbow now and then. And I often suffered lacerations. My teammates always used to say: “Ole plays with his head.” They didn’t mean that I was a tactical genius or anything. Instead, they were making fun of the fact that I used to throw myself into every scuffl e without hesitation, take an elbow or a knee to the chin or the back of the head, and just like that I would be bleeding again. Home games were better for me because the hospital was just 150 meters away from the edge of the playing fi eld. The doctors always sewed or stapled me right up. When I was young and stupid, I used to show off my scars like they were trophies. Today, I’m happy that you can barely see them anymore.
Pictures of the story
Modern wound treatment - faster healing
More exercise, more injuries
The less strenuous work becomes, the more people want to be physically active in their free time. 60 percent of Americans, 67 percent of Chinese and about half of Germans exercise regularly. This makes sense, since a lack of physical activity poses a major health risk: according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, 3.2 million people die every year worldwide as a result of insufficient exercise. Physical activity strengthens the cardiovascular system, helps immune defense, results in stronger muscles and tendons and is also good for the soul. Because of these great benefits, people are willing to accept the risk that those participating in sports will suffer injuries as a result of falls or collisions with opposing players. Typical wounds include bruises, which heal on their own, as well as minor scrapes, whose treatment requires only a disinfectant ointment and a bandage. Lacerations, broken bones and torn ligaments do require medical treatment.
History of wound care
The history of wound care is as old as mankind itself. At first, wounds were treated with leaves, ground bark and fruit extracts. With the introduction of antiseptic measures in the 19th Century, physicians have been able to clean wounds using solutions with antimicrobial properties. The idea of moist wound healing is relatively new: in 1962, British physician George D. Winter discovered that tissue heals up to 50 percent faster when kept moist under a dressing. Today, innovative dressings and wound pads are used to facilitate the healing process. Chronic wounds are more problematic: these may be the result of underlying diseases such as diabetes, circulatory disorders and vascular problems, but can also arise as a result of bedsores. Four million Germans alone suffer from chronic wounds, of which 80 percent can be treated with wound pads. The duration of treatment ranges from a few weeks to several years.
Optimal care
B. Braun has a full range of products designed to clean, protect and heal wounds. Our customers can rely on our experience and our expertise. We have the right treatment option for many different wound secretions and for many stages of wound healing process. Acute everyday wounds like scrapes, cuts and small lacerations for example are treated using hypoallergenic first-aid bandages or skin-friendly Askina wound dressings. Particularly suitable for the treatment of chronic wounds, for example, are wound dressings with a layer of soft silicone, creating a moist environment conducive to healing. B. Braun’s wound pads do not stick to the wound bed, but instead cling gently to the surrounding skin. A broad range of products, like Prontosan wound irrigation solution and Prontosan Wound Gel, act to clean wounds and keep them moist. They can also be used to remove bacteria, prevent infection and create an environment conducive to healing.
Fighting germs and infections
Of course, every precaution must be taken to ensure that hospital patients do not become infected, as multi-drug-resistant organisms are an especially big problem. The B. Braun infection prevention system is a key aspect of all medical applications. B. Braun offers protective clothing, hand hygiene, surface disinfectants and materials for whole body decontamination. B. Braun is also engaged in the WHO project “World Alliance for Patient Safety” and is a founding member of the WHO’s POPS (Private Organizations for Patient Safety) initiative.
