Sometimes skin abrasions and lacerations are quite unpleasant and painful injuries. Depending on their severity, medical intervention or simple home care may be necessary. If there is an abrasion, wash your hands before cleaning and dressing the wound. If you are dealing with a skin flap excoriation, the peeled off skin does not need to be removed. Gently stop the bleeding, clean the wound, and then seek medical attention.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Clean the Wound
Step 1. Wash your hands
Before taking care of an abrasion or skin flap tear, you need to make sure you are not at risk of infection. The injury is unlikely to be serious on its own, but if it becomes infected, your condition can worsen. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before dealing with them.
If you have a pair of sterile latex gloves on hand, put them on
Step 2. Stop the bleeding
Once you've washed your hands, you can focus on the wound. Depending on the severity, it may bleed and, therefore, you will need to stop the bleeding. Typically, if it is a small bruise, it is not very difficult because small wounds usually stop bleeding on their own. However, if you continue to bleed, take a sterile gauze or dressing and hold it firmly and evenly against the wound.
- Use a non-stick dressing or gauze to prevent it from sticking to the wound surface due to blood clotting.
- If blood begins to seep through the dressing, take additional gauze pads and hold them down.
- Do not remove the dressing until you are sure that the bleeding has stopped.
- If the lesion is localized on a limb, lift it to restrict blood flow to the wound.
- For example, if it's on your arm, hold it up while applying pressure to the wound.
- If it doesn't stop bleeding, seek medical help immediately.
Step 3. Clean
Once the bleeding is under control, clean the wound thoroughly to avoid infections. Start by rinsing the surrounding areas with cold water to remove any debris. Be careful not to aggravate her condition by causing her to bleed again.
- If you have a saline solution available, use it to clean the area surrounding the excoriation. It will help you not only to clean the skin flap and wound area, but also to keep the skin supple and thus it will be easier for the skin segment to reattach to the torn area. If there is no saline solution, use soap and water, but be careful not to let the soap get into the wound.
- If it is a minor wound, it is not necessary to use hydrogen peroxide, iodine or a similar disinfectant. These products can irritate the excoriated tissue. Hydrogen peroxide should not be applied to an open wound.
- Use a pair of tweezers to carefully remove any debris trapped in the lesion. Sterilize them with denatured alcohol first.
Step 4. Determine whether or not to cut the skin flap
If there is a piece of skin that has peeled off, try to figure out if it should be cut before dressing the wound. The skin flap is formed when the superficial layers of the epidermis separate. It can be of two types: the first involves all layers of the dermis, while the second only partially concerns the dermis. The former generally occurs when the skin is fragile and thin, so it is more common in older people.
- When the dermis is completely detached, the segment of skin that remains separated does not need to be cut, but requires medical attention.
- Typically, when the lesion does not totally affect the dermis, it affects areas where the skin is thickest, such as the palm. It involves only the loss of the superficial layer of the epidermis.
- If the wound partially involves the dermis, it is possible to see the lines of the fingerprints under the flap.
- If in doubt, treat the lesion as if it had totally compromised the dermis by consulting a doctor or nurse.
Step 5. Know when to call your doctor
Before continuing to medicate, you need to know the situations in which medical attention is required. It is generally not needed if you have a mild cut or abrasion. However, there are circumstances where a seemingly minor injury requires medical attention, for example if:
- The skin has torn apart leaving a detached skin flap;
- The wound is large, deep, or open and may require stitches;
- The wound is dirty or holds a foreign body;
- It is a puncture wound, probably caused by an animal bite or a stepped on nail;
- The wound is accompanied by signs of infection, such as purulent discharge, bad odor or a state of general malaise;
- The wound is large or dirty and you haven't had a tetanus vaccination in the past five years.
- You are taking medications that can impair healing.
Part 2 of 2: Treat the Wound
Step 1. Apply antibiotic ointment
When you are ready to dress the wound, you can start by applying a thin layer of antibiotic ointment or cream. It will help keep the surface moist, promoting the natural healing process and limiting the risk of infection. Make sure whoever does this has washed their hands thoroughly before proceeding.
- Some ingredients in antibiotic treatments can cause rashes around the lesion.
- If you have discomfort and a rash appears, stop using the ointment or cream.
Step 2. Cover the wound
Now you can apply a dressing to the affected area. It will help keep it clean and reduce the risk of infections. Make sure it is sterile and be careful not to irritate the wound during application. Again, it is preferable to use non-stick gauze.
- If the cut or abrasion isn't severe, you can also avoid covering it.
- The use of soft silicone dressings has been shown to increase the likelihood of the skin flap re-attaching to surrounding tissue with little or no risk of necrosis (tissue death).
Step 3. Change it regularly
You need to change the dressing frequently if you want to heal the wound properly, so at least once a day, or even immediately if it gets dirty or wet. Be careful when removing and replacing it, avoiding irritating the wound and hindering the healing process.
- You can permanently remove it when healing is in a phase that allows you to exclude any risk of infection.
- By leaving the wound uncovered and exposed to the air, you accelerate the healing process.
Step 4. Look out for symptoms of an infection
It is important to observe the wound for any signs of infection. If it's not healing properly, you should contact your doctor. If you notice any of the following symptoms, don't hesitate to consult it:
- Redness, inflammation and heat surrounding the wound
- Fever or general malaise;
- Pus or purulent discharge
- Reddish streaks on the surrounding wound area;
- Localized increasing pain.
