Scrapes

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Causes

Signs/Symptoms

Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Clean the wound gently with a cotton swab dipped into a small amount of water mixed with an equal amount of hydrogen peroxide. Then apply a bandage. Be sure to keep the bandage clean and dry.
• Clean the wound and change the bandage several times a day. Take the bandage off slowly and carefully. If it sticks or starts to hurt, use warm water to gently loosen it. Pat the area dry with a clean towel before putting on another bandage.
• Keep the wounded area raised above the heart as much as possible. This will relieve the pain and swelling and to help the wound heal.
• Let the wound dry for several hours.
• You may take over-the-counter medications for the pain.
• Continue using a bandage until a scab forms.

Call Your Doctor If...

• You develop a high temperature.
• Blood soaks through the bandage.
• Pain in the injured area becomes worse.
• You have numbness or swelling at a point below the wound.
• You have redness, swelling, pus, a bad smell, or red streaks coming away from the wound. These are signs of an infection that needs immediate treatment.