Home: Cuts And Scrapes

Cuts and Scrapes: First Aid

The term wound refers to any injury or break in the continuity of the skin. Cuts and scrapes are the wounds, which disrupt the skin’s integrity. The exposed skin cannot play effective role as the natural barrier; thus it is vulnerable to the infection.

Whenever the injury to skin occurs, the layers of the skin along with the blood capillaries underneath it are damaged resulting in the bleeding. The extent of the tissue trauma and vessel injury determines the type of the wound and the amount of the bleeding.

 Minor cuts and scrapes that involve the superficial stratum of the skin are usually easy to treat; they heal earlier with least complications. Yet all we aim at caring for these cuts and scrapes include, stopping the bleeding, the prevention of the infection, keeping the wound clean and also promoting early wound healing.

First aid for the cuts and scrapes:

Care at home:-

If your child or sibling gets cut or scrapes on the skin, all you can do is as follows:

Assess the wound area for bleeding:

The first and foremost priority is stopping the bleeding from the cuts and the scrapes.
The minor cuts may not bleed profusely; even if they bleed the bleeding will cease on its own without intervention. Still, if it bleeds, you can gently apply pressure on that site using a clean cloth or pressure bandage for several minutes. If after applying pressure for a longer time the wounds still bleed, you should seek medical help.

Cleaning the wound:

Thereafter wash the wound thoroughly with water. Avoid using soap for cleansing as it may irritate the wound. You can use sterilized tweezers to clean the wound and to remove off the debris, if any present in the wound.

Applying the medication:

Apply antiseptic or an antibiotic ointment over the wound area. Antibiotic will prevent the growth of the micro organisms and thus prevent infection.

Cover the wound area:

Cover it using sterile gauze or apply bandage; this will prevent the risk of the infection and keep the wound area clean.

Daily assessment of the wound:

You need to assess the condition of the wound daily; dressing the wound daily is also of utmost priority to maintain the healthy wound. Moreover doing this, it offers you a chance to observe the wound for redness, swelling, discharge or any exudates that may indicate the infection. If anything like this is observed, you should consult the physician and get medical attention.

Stitching the deeper wounds:

Some cuts or skin injuries that are deep may need to be stitched so seek medical assistance if your wound is deep.

Tetanus shots:

The doctor may advise you the tetanus shot in case you have deep injury and you haven’t received the tetanus shots in last ten years. This will prevent the tetanus infection.

Remember never ignore your minor cuts and scrapes, give them your attention and seek medical assistance, to get it treated very soon and prevent any complications.

Disclaimer
This site provides you with the general guidelines and information regarding the first aid measures for the various conditions or health related problems. It is not a substitute for the medical advice or the formal first aid training. It will not be responsible or liable in case one tries to make diagnosis based on the provided information. You always need to consult the doctor and emergency department in case of all the serious emergencies rather than just relying upon the supposed guidelines.