9 Basic Wound Care Tips
Thursday, September 08, 2022Wounds are a common injury, in which the skin’s surface gets damaged. Fortunately, most wounds can be treated with first aid and won’t need ...
Wounds are a common injury, in which the skin’s surface gets damaged. Fortunately, most wounds can be treated with first aid and won’t need a trip to the hospital or clinic. With proper and immediate care, you can reduce the risk of infection and speed up healing.
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Here are some basic wound
first aid tips that you should follow:
Wash Your Hands Before Anything Else
Whether you’re taking
care of your own wound or someone else’s, the first order of business should be
washing your hands to prevent contamination and infection. Make sure to follow
good hand-washing practices, including scrubbing up to the wrists and under the
nails.
Stop the Bleeding
If the wound is small and
not very deep, it will likely stop bleeding without any help. However, if the
wound is bleeding, you need to stop it before you start treatment. A simple and
reliable method is to use a clean cloth or bandage to apply gentle pressure.
You should also elevate the wound to slow down the bleeding as much as possible.
Clean the Wound Using Running Water
It’s best to use running
water to clean a wound, because this will help wash away dirt and other small
particles. For the skin around the wound, wash it gently with soap and rinse
thoroughly; try your best not to get soap in the wound. For the wound itself,
you can use a saline solution to minimize tissue damage.
After washing, use a
clean pair of tweezers to remove any remaining debris. This will help the wound
heal faster and better. If you can’t remove every piece of debris on your own
or if a piece of debris is too large or embedded deeper, it may be better to go
to the doctor to avoid complications.
Apply an Antibiotic Ointment
After making sure the
wound is clean, pat it dry using another clean cloth. You can also use paper
towels, but make sure that there will be no fibers left behind. Once the wound
is dry, apply an antibiotic ointment to keep the wound clean and to prevent the
growth of bacteria. If you don’t have antibiotic ointment at the time, a bit of
petroleum jelly will do while you buy medicine online
to replenish the stock in your first aid kit.
Cover the Wound
For slightly more serious
wounds, where there’s a flap of skin that got scraped off, use a cotton swab to
reposition the skin flap before applying the gauze.
Change the Dressing Regularly
For hygiene and safety,
change the dressing of the wound regularly. About once a day is recommended,
but it may be more frequent for bigger wounds; it’s also advisable to replace
the wound dressing before going to sleep. Again, make sure that your hands are
clean before proceeding to wash and cover the injury.
Use Pain Relievers If Necessary
If the wound causes a lot
of pain, you can use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Make sure that you
or the patient doesn’t have any allergies to the main ingredient. Moreover, if
the person is taking prescription medication, consult your doctor to confirm
OTC pain relievers won’t affect the prescription medication’s effectiveness.
Get a Shot for Tetanus
For deep, dirty wounds, a
tetanus shot is recommended after the necessary first aid has been
accomplished. This is even more important if the patient hasn’t had a tetanus
shot in the past 5 years.
Meanwhile, you should go
to an animal bite center if you or the person you’re helping got bitten by an
animal like a dog, cat, or bat. It’s even more important if the animal is wild
or a stray, and if the animal hasn’t been given complete rabies shots.
Monitor for Symptoms of Infection
After treating the wound,
monitor it carefully for symptoms. If the wound causes severe pain, has a bad
odor coming from it, or produces thick, yellowish discharge, go to your doctor
immediately. Some other signs you should look out for include continuous
bleeding even after treatment and reddened skin around the wound. Any wound
that causes a fever is also a cause for concern, as well as big wounds on the
face, head, neck, or near a joint.
In addition, you should go to the doctor if you suffer a serious wound and have an underlying medical condition that can affect the healing process.
At times, being wounded
or seeing someone be wounded can be panic-inducing; your emotions may be
heightened further if the patient is a child or an elderly person. Knowing how
to take care of the injury can help reduce the feelings of panic. Keep these
tips in mind so you properly administer first aid for wounds.
