First Aid Lacerations And Cuts

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Cuts and scrapes, as they’re more commonly known as, occur as frequently as even twice a day. Especially children who are athletic, sporty or just generally hyper find themselves as victims to cuts and scrapes. Scrapped knees are common in households with kids and teens. Even adults are plagued by lacerations and cuts. Fortunately, most of them are easy to cure as well and do not normally cause complications. But there are some cuts which need to be stitched within a few hours or can be quite fatal. Cuts to the face can get stitched within 24 hours.

CUTS AND SCRAPES – Do’s and Dont’s

1. Call the ambulance

The first step when dealing with lacerations and scrapes would be calling up the ambulance as soon as you figure out that it’s the ‘rare stitching required’ kind of a scrape. Do not hesitate, because either way there’s no harm in going up to the hospital. And we all know the famous saying, ‘better safe than sorry.’ So use that in real life, and save yourself added complications and a prolonged injury.

2. How to know if the cut is serious?

Cuts and scrapes are serious if the blood is gushing out of them instead of trickling, and if even after 10 minutes of applying pressure they blood just does not seem to stop. The trickle is normal, but gushing blood is caused by a severe complication. That is the time to rush to your phone and immediately call the ambulance.

3. Stop the bleeding

For minor cuts, you need to stop the bleeding. That can either be done by applying pressure with your hand and cleaning the blood, or by tying a cloth above the wounded area. Both of these ways are commonly used, and are effective in stopping the blood flow.

4. Brings in your cleaning supplies

After you’ve successfully stopped the blood flow, you need to start with cleaning the wounded area. The cuts and scrapes are usually filled with dirt therefore to avoid an infection you need to clean it as soon as possible. If you leave it out for too long, it might get infected by germs and become complicated.

5. Apply an antibiotic

Applying an antibiotic cream at the cut or scrape is the next step. The anti-biotic would ensure a germ free recovery and heal the area faster.

6. Bandages

Apply a bandage to the area, making completely sure that the bandage is sterile. If a bandage isn’t within your grasp, put a clean cloth on it. But either way covering the area with a clean cloth or bandage is extremely essential.

7. Changing the cover-up

You need to change the dressing daily. Or you can change the dressing whenever the present bandage gets soiled.

8. Get the shot

Getting the tetanus shot is the way to go if you want to avoid further fatal cuts and scrapes. Doctors recommend a tetanus shot every ten years. Usually after a wound or injury, doctors vouch for a tetanus shot booster.

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