Suture Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Try not to hit the wound on anything, this could cause it to break open.
• Keep the stitches dry for the first 24 hours. After that, you can shower; but be sure to dry the stitches off right away.
• Clean the wound and stitches 3 to 4 times a day:
  • Use soap and water or a cotton tipped swab dipped in a mixture of half water and half hydrogen peroxide.
  • For mouth and lip wounds, rinse your mouth after meals and at bedtime. Ask your doctor what mixture to use. Do NOT swallow the mixture.
• If you have a scalp wound, you may wash your hair gently after you get home. Keep your hair dry until the day you are to have your stitches taken out and then wash it gently.
• Keep your bandage clean and dry. If the bandage gets wet and you need to change it, unwrap it slowly and carefully. If it sticks or 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 wounded area lifted above the level of your heart to lessen the pain and swelling and help healing.
• Do not soak the wound. Do not go swimming.
• If you have been given a tetanus shot, your arm may get swollen, and 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 from the wound gets worse.
• You develop a high temperature
• You have signs of infection (redness, swelling, pus, a bad smell, or red streaks coming away from the wound).
• You have numbness or swelling at a point below the wound.
• You cannot move the joint below the wound.