If you or any of your family members gets a cut, burn or scrape, it is very crucial to get the wound cleaned properly to prevent any infection. It is important for us to prepare ourselves with the knowledge of cleaning the wound and what to do if your family members got a wound. In this Doctoroncall article, we will discuss more about how to clean your wound in five easy steps.
Firstly, you need to clean your hands. Wash your hands properly using soap and water. You may also use hand sanitizer to sanitize your hand from bacteria. You need to always do this before touching your wound or treating any other person’s burn, cut or scrape. By doing this, you can prevent your wound from any infections.
Read More: Wound care in Fresno
Secondly, if the wound is bleeding, you may use a clean cloth and press gently onto the wound to stop the bleeding. You may not require gentle pressure if it is just a small cut or scrapes. After that, you need to elevate the affected part and if the blood bleeds through the cloth, you may pull out of the covering on your wound. Put down another clean cloth on top of the wound and continue to put pressure on it.
Thirdly, if there is any dirt or debris on the wound, you need to remove it by rinsing the wound into clear water. You may use a soft cloth and soap to wash around the wound area. But you need to be cautious not to let the soap get into the wound as it will hurt and cause an irritation to the wound. If there is still dirt or debris appearing after you have cleaned your wound, you can use tweezers to remove it. The tweezers need to be cleaned by isopropyl alcohol first. However, if the wound is caused by a burn, you need to rinse the wound into cool water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. You need to see your doctors if there is any formation of large blisters.
Fourthly, you may use an antibiotic cream or an ointment. Antibiotics that you can get over the counter such as Neosporin and Polysporin can help to moist the skin and keep off infection. However, if you are having a minor cut or scrape, it is not always compulsory to use these antibiotics. But you can minimize scarring and boost the natural healing process of your body by applying a thin layer of the antibiotics. If you are having burn blisters that have burst, the doctor may suggest you to use the topical antibiotic.
Lastly, after using antibiotics and some ointments, you need to bandage the wound. This step is applicable for big wounds and major scrapes. When it comes to a minor scrape or cut, what you need to do is just wash it and leave it alone. Otherwise, you may need to put on a clean and sterile bandage onto the wound after washing it properly. This will help to prevent germs from infecting your wound. For hygiene purposes, you need to change the bandage when it is dirty and wet or at least once daily. There are variations of bandages and tape that you can get from the pharmacy.
After you have finished cleaning the wound, as for the wound care, you are advised not to pick at any scabs as it may leave a scar at the wound area. The scabs are parts of the healing process for your wound. You also need to extra watch out for the sign and symptoms of your wound getting get infected by bacteria or germs such as:
1. There is a bulging or increasing in redness
2. Worsening of the pain
3. Increase in the temperature at the area of the skin around the wound
4. Foul odour can be smell from the wound
5. Increase in drainage of the wound
6. You are experiencing fever or chills
