Having glass in a wound can be very painful, and it could cause an infection if the wound isn't treated quickly. You should remove the glass immediately to prevent a possible infection from spreading and avoid an allergic reaction. If you have glass in a wound, first try to remove it at home, but if the injury is too severe, see a doctor.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Remove the Glass at Home
Step 1. Use a pair of tweezers to grab the glass
When there is only a small portion of glass in the wound, it can be easily removed at home.
- Pull it carefully in the direction it came in from.
- Use pointed tweezers.
- Do not apply too much pressure on the glass fragment, to prevent it from breaking into small pieces.
- If you don't have a steady hand, try getting help from a friend.
- After removing it, thoroughly wash the affected area with soap and running water.
Step 2. Pull the glass out with a needle if it is stuck in the bottom
If the glass is well embedded in the skin, the tweezers will not be able to pull it out.
- Use a small needle dipped in alcohol to remove the splinter.
- Before removing the splinter, make sure the affected area is clean, using an antiseptic solution such as alcohol or betadine.
- With the help of the needle, gently and carefully move the glass.
- Then you can remove it completely with the help of a pair of tweezers.
- Afterwards, meticulously wash the affected area with soap and water.
Step 3. Wet the splinter area with baking soda and warm water to soften the skin
If you want to remove the glass with tweezers or a needle, wet the affected area with a spoonful of baking soda dissolved in hot water.
- This should be done twice a day.
- This procedure will soften the skin and lift the splinter to the surface.
- Eventually the glass may come out of the skin after a few days.
Method 2 of 2: Get the Doctor's Help
Step 1. Get medical attention immediately if any of the following signs are present
Although glass in a wound is a situation that can usually be managed at home, there are circumstances in which seeing a doctor is recommended.
- If the glass or the splinter is under a nail, it will be difficult to remove it without medical tools. The splinter should be removed immediately, as it could cause infection.
- If there is pus formation, unbearable pain (8 out of 10 on the pain scale), soreness, swelling or redness, there may be an infection, so your doctor will need to prescribe antibiotics.
- If the glass fragments are exceptionally large, they could impair senses or movement, and could even cause damage to nerves and blood vessels.
- If you have previously removed the glass from the wound at home, but the area is inflamed, there may still be some fragments under the skin that should be examined by a doctor.
Step 2. Get medical attention if a child has glass in a wound
It may be difficult to remove it, because children have a much lower pain threshold.
- Children may move and cause further injury during the splinter removal process.
- For this reason it is better for a doctor to remove it.
- Keeping the baby in a safe and controlled environment will speed up removal and make the process less risky.
Step 3. Go to the doctor if you can't remove the glass at home
Deep-embedded glass should be removed by a doctor to prevent further injury, especially if the glass in the wound accidentally breaks.
- Sometimes when you try to remove the glass at home, it may break into smaller bits and pieces in the skin.
- In case it happens and there are any fragments left, go to the nearest emergency room immediately so that a doctor can remove the remaining fragments.
- Also, if the glass is embedded deep in the skin, an anesthetic agent may be applied to make removal less painful.
Step 4. Get a professional diagnosis
Most of the time the glass in wounds is clearly visible and no diagnostic tests are required, but sometimes the glass is so deep that it cannot be seen on the surface.
- In these cases, an ultrasound, computed tomography, or MRI scan is ordered to get a better view of the affected area.
- Larger splinters, or bits of glass that have penetrated deeply, require a computed tomography or MRI to determine if they have caused damage to the bones, nerves, or blood vessels.
- X-rays can determine where the splinter is before removing it.
Step 5. Understand the method by which the doctor will remove the glass
If the glass needs to be removed by a doctor, it may help to know the procedure you will undergo.
- A surgeon will cut from where the glass entered.
- A surgical forceps will be used to carefully extend the surrounding tissue.
- Glass can be removed from your wound using alligator clips (basically surgical tweezers).
- If the glass has penetrated too deeply, the tissue will have to be analyzed in order to proceed with the extraction.
