WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Any tear, scrape, or cut in the skin is considered a
wound. There are many types. Abrasions are wounds in which the
outer layer of the skin has been rubbed or scraped off.
Lacerations are cuts through the skin. Puncture wounds are cuts
made by round, sharp objects such as needles or nails. Most
wounds take 2 to 6 weeks to heal.
Signs/Symptoms
Pain, bleeding, bruising, and
swelling are all to be expected.
Care
If the wound is large, deep, or
won't stop bleeding, you may need to have it closed with
stitches (sutures) to speed healing and to keep it from getting
infected. Using stitches also reduces the amount of scarring.
You may need a tetanus shot if you have not had one in the past
5 to 10 years.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Keep the wound and bandage clean and dry. If the
bandage gets wet and you need to change it, unwrap it
slowly and carefully. If it sticks and starts to hurt, use
water to loosen it gently. Pat the area dry with a clean
towel before putting on another
bandage.
-
If possible, keep the wound lifted above the level of
your heart for 24 to 48 hours. This will help ease pain and
swelling and help healing.
-
Leave the dressing on for several
days.
-
Clean the wound gently 3 to 4 times a
day:
-
Flush the wound thoroughly with clean water. Wash
the area around the wound with soap and water or a cotton
tipped swab dipped in a mixture of half water and half
hydrogen peroxide.
-
If you have a mouth or lip wound, rinse your mouth
after meals and at bedtime. Ask your doctor what mixture
to use. Do NOT swallow the mixture.
-
If you have a puncture wound, soak it briefly 3 to
4 times a day.
-
If you have a scalp wound, you may wash your hair
gently after you get home. Then keep your hair dry until
the day you are to have your stitches removed, when you may
wash it gently again.
-
Do not go swimming or soak the wound for long
periods.
-
If the wound has stitches, your doctor will tell you
when to return to have them taken out.
-
If you have been given a tetanus shot, your arm may
get swollen, red, and warm to the touch at the shot site.
This is a normal reaction to the medicine in the
shot.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
Bleeding in the wound area is getting
worse.
-
You develop a high temperature.
-
You have any signs of infection (increasing pain or
soreness, swelling, redness, pus, a bad smell, or red
streaks coming from the injured site).
-
You have numbness or swelling below the
wound.
-
You cannot move the joint below the
wound.
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