Cuts – What to do when they happen

Very active children will once in a while get a graze or cut in the house or while playing outside. The range of cuts can be minor scraping of the knee to a deep cut that calls for admission at the hospital. Regardless of the state, all of these cuts need fast attention to stop pain and avoid extensive loss of blood. Here are the first aid steps taken:

Stop the bleeding first. Mostly after a minor cut or scraping, bleeding will easily stop without applying pressure. But if it does not stop, press gently with a cloth or a finger continuously for at least ten minutes to give time for the blood to clot. If the bleeding is from a deep cut, raise the level of the injury above the heart level if possible. Note that, due to a large number of vessels, the head and the mouth may bleed more. Apply pressure and do not panic.

After bleeding has stopped, clean the wound and the area around it with a lot of water. Remove any large particles of dirt which may have embedded into the cut area with tweezers then proceed to clean carefully. Do not use soap in the cut as it may cause irritation and more pain. If bleeding starts again, clean fast then apply pressure once more. Usually hydrogen peroxide or antiseptics are not needed. Clean water is sufficient.

Apply an antibiotic cream to prevent the scar from itching as it dries up. Some people are allergic to antibiotic creams and ointments. If you develop a rash while using one, stop using the ointment.

Cover the wound in an adhesive bandage. Bandages prevent further infection and hold in moisture which aids in healing. After a few days, however, the bandage can be a breeding ground for bacteria so check it and if it gets wet or dirty, change it. After the wound closes up and there is no likelihood of infection, remove the bandage to expose to air and speed up the healing process. Deep cuts have stitches done in a health facility.

Some cuts do not stop bleeding even after first aid. Others become infected if you do not seek intervention after the first aid treatment. Take your child to hospital immediately if:

o The cut is deep and it exposes muscle or fat tissue,
o The healing wound becomes infected such as it is bloodshot (reddish), painful, swells, or has pus.
o Your child was cut by a rusty metal or glass and has not had a tetanus injection.
o The cut still bleeds heavily even after applying pressure for more than 15 minutes.

END:BL27/15

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.