Treating a wound can be stressful and annoying. To avoid worrying further, it is vital to prevent any infections. Regardless of the depth of the wound, disinfecting it properly reduces the risk of it becoming infected. Cuts (including puncture wounds) and scrapes require different treatment than wounds left by surgery. In any case, if you take the right precautions, you can completely cure them without any side effects.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Disinfect Cuts and Scratches
Step 1. Wash your hands
Just use soap and water, nothing else. Create a full-bodied lather, then rub your hands together while humming "Happy Birthday to you". Make sure you reach the back of your hand, fingers and the area under the nails (if possible). Blot them well with a clean towel.
- If you don't have access to running water, you can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. In fact, it is preferable to wash your hands with water, but a sanitizer is always better than nothing.
- If you need to disinfect another person's wound, wear a pair of clean disposable vinyl or latex gloves. However, it is not strictly necessary.
Step 2. If necessary, stop the bleeding
If the wound continues to bleed, place a sterile bandage or gauze over the affected area and apply direct pressure. Do not remove it until you are sure that the bleeding has stopped, otherwise you risk tearing the tissue and causing further bleeding. Raise the affected area above the level of the heart. In this way the circulation will be diverted from the wound.
- If you can't lift the affected area, press a pressure point (an artery above the wound) on the wrist, bicep, top of the thigh, or behind the knee.
- If the bleeding doesn't stop after 10 minutes of pressure and elevation, go to the emergency room. Call an ambulance if you can't get there.
Step 3. Clean the wound and surrounding area
Wash it with water. You can use the tap or fill a container. Clean the surrounding area with a sponge soaked in soapy water. Avoid getting soap into the wound, as it may irritate the wound. Rinse it and pat it dry with a clean towel or cloth.
- Alternatively, you could clean the wound with a saline solution and a piece of gauze. Soak the gauze in the water and use it to gently pat the wound.
- If any dirt remains in the wound, try to remove it using tweezers sterilized with isopropyl alcohol. Do not use your fingers. Seek medical attention if dirt or other elements are at a depth that is difficult to reach, or if the wound is deep and has an object stuck in it.
Step 4. Use an over-the-counter topical antibiotic
For example, you can choose a neomycin-based ointment. Pour a drop onto a cotton swab, then tap it on the wound.
Check the label first to make sure you are not allergic to the ingredients in the ointment. The package insert should list active ingredients and potential allergens
Step 5. Bandage the wound
A patch of adequate size, a non-adhesive bandage, or a piece of non-stick gauze to be fixed with medical tape will work. Keep the bandage dry, while the wound should be kept moist, as this helps speed healing. Change it every day, especially when you get out of the shower or bathtub. This will allow the wound to heal and decrease the risk of infection.
Step 6. See a doctor if necessary
Go to your primary care physician or emergency room in case it's a deep cut or puncture wound. Explain exactly how it was caused. The doctor will first perform a sterilization procedure. If the wound is deep, it will sew up the skin with sutures. If you have a puncture wound, you may be given a tetanus vaccine.
Step 7. Monitor the wound until it heals completely
When you change the bandage, make sure that a scab is forming and that the wound is gradually shrinking. Don't tease her. Look for any redness, swelling, secretions, and odors. The color of the secretions is particularly important. If they are dense and yellow, brown, or green in color, then the wound is infected.
If you see these symptoms, or if the wound is not healing, see a doctor. You should also do this if you experience severe pain (a slight burning sensation is normal) or a warm sensation in the wound area
Method 2 of 2: Treating Surgical Wounds
Step 1. Sanitize your hands
Remove any accessories you wear in the hand and / or wrist area. Create a full-bodied lather with warm soapy water (you can use a stick or a few drops of liquid soap). Rub your hands together, massaging your palms, backs, fingers and the area under your nails. Wash them for at least 20 seconds. Rinse them and pat them dry with a clean towel.
Step 2. Remove the bandage
Your doctor will tell you how often to change it. To get started, peel off the surgical tape. Then, carefully remove the bandage covering the wound. If it sticks to the skin, moisten it unless your doctor instructs you to do otherwise. Throw the blindfold into a garbage pail lined with a bag.
Make sure to place everything you need on a clean surface before removing the bandage
Step 3. Clean the wound with a saline solution or use the cleanser recommended by your doctor
Soak a piece of gauze using a saline solution or cleaning product recommended by your doctor. Gently pat the wound. If blood-encrusted debris or secretions have accumulated in the surrounding area, gently wipe them off with a gauze soaked in saline.
Avoid using antibacterial soaps or topical treatments. They could slow down the healing process and increase the risk of getting infections
Step 4. Irrigate the wound if necessary
If your doctor prescribes this cleansing method, they will give you a syringe to perform the procedure. To start, fill it with saline, then place it about 3 to 15 cm away from the wound and press the plunger to remove any blood or secretions that have dried on the affected area.
Step 5. Look for signs of infection
Make sure the wound is healing in line with your doctor's expectations. Check for redness, swelling, warm touch, numbness, pus, or odor. Also consider if it is reopening. If you notice these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.
Step 6. Apply a new bandage
Use only materials that your doctor has given or recommended. Follow his instructions to the letter. Make sure everything you need is sterile and clean.
Advice
- Try to treat a wound as soon as you get it. If you can't disinfect it right away, put a bandage on it to prevent it from being exposed to other harmful agents.
- Be patient while you wait for the wound to heal. Some cuts, especially extensive or deep ones, can take a long time to heal. If you see that the wound is improving with no signs of infection, then the healing process is happening correctly.
Warnings
- Do not breathe or blow on open wounds, otherwise you risk contaminating them with germs.
- If the wound is deep, don't try to fix broken organs or bones. You could cause further damage.
- The tourniquet should only be used in a very dangerous situation, such as a severed artery.
- Do not try to remove an object that is long or stuck deep inside the wound. If it has penetrated one of the main arteries, there is a risk of lethal bleeding. Go to the emergency room immediately.
- Contact your doctor if you have a fever that exceeds 38 ° C.
