First Aid For Cuts

You will need to learn two techniques for dealing with cuts.

Cuts are injuries that tear or break the skin. The two most common kinds are lacerations, a jagged edged wound and puncture wounds, a small deep hole in the skin. Each needs to be treated a little differently.

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First Aid For Cuts

• Wash your hands to avoid infection
• Gently wash the wound with soap and water
• Place a sterile gauze over the wound and apply pressure to stop bleeding
• If blood soaks through gauze replace with clean gauze and continue to apply pressure
• Elevate injured body part above the heart if possible to slow down blood flow
• When bleeding stops, apply a topical antibacterial ointment
• Cover wound with bandage to reduce chance of infection

First Aid For Punture Wounds

• Wash hands to prevent infection
• Gently wash wound with soap and water. Wash for about 5 minutes
• Examine the wound for foreign objects. DO NOT probe the wound
• If you can see the object do not remove it but go to the hospital and have them remove it for you
• If you cannot see the object but part of the instrument that caused the injury is missing go to the hospital
• If the puncture wound is lightly bleeding DO NOT stop the blood flow. Blood flowing out of the wound carries bacteria and foreign material out of the wound
• Apply an antibacterial ointment and bandage lightly
• DO NOT close or seal the wound. We want the wound to heal from the bottom up. If you tightly close or seal the top of the wound bacteria can become trapped at the bottom of the wound and cause infection
• DO NOT remove a large or imbedded object

Call you doctor immediately if:

• You cannot stop the bleeding after 15 minutes of pressure
• The wound is large even if bleeding is not severe
• The puncture or cut was caused by an object that might require a tetanus shot. Like a rusty nail for a fishhook
• The wound shows signs of infection such as redness, heat, swelling, pus or fever
• The cuts was caused by a human or animal bite