If you’re concerned about a wound, your family physician or internist is a good place to start. He or she should examine the wound, and can refer you to a specialist if necessary. Dr. Kreithen in an expert in acute and chronic wounds. Dr. Kreithen can treat a wound in a manner that maintains function and offers the most pleasing final appearance–a consideration that may be especially important if the wound is in a highly visible area.
If you decide you can take care of a wound yourself, you should follow good first aid practices:
Stop the bleeding. Use gauze or a clean cloth such as a handkerchief or washcloth–or, if nothing is available, your fingertips or hand will work–to apply pressure directly to the wound.
Clean and disinfect. Soon after the skin is broken, bacteria begin to multiply in the wound, so it’s important to clean it thoroughly. Flush the injured area with running water and soap. Pick out any debris with sterile tweezers. This is especially important with abrasions that occur when the body meets the road as in a fall from a bicycle. The resulting grainy “road rash,” with its characteristic little black particles, may provide an unwanted tattoo if it isn’t thoroughly cleaned. If you are unable to clean the wound, seek medical assistance. After cleaning the injury, apply an antimicrobial cream, ointment, or spray as an additional safeguard against infection. Don’t use hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or alcohol directly in a wound because they may damage or irritate tissue; however, they are safe for cleaning wound edges and the skin around the injury. Apply the ointment immediately after cleaning the site; if you wait too long, the wound will form a seal that the antiseptic can’t penetrate. Contrary to popular belief, a dry, hard scab does not promote healing. A wound that remains moist heals faster. Also remember that a bandage or dressing is meant to protect the injury–not create an airtight seal. An airtight wound is more likely to become infected. You don’t want the wound either too moist or too dry. Change the bandage twice a day. Let the wound air dry for a half hour, then apply more ointment before putting on a clean bandage.
Abrasions. Abrasions should be covered with nonstick (Telfa style) gauze. Apply antiseptic cream and place or wrap the gauze loosely. It’s important that the dressing not stick to the scrape. Most abrasions don’t go through the skin, but when one does, it’s obvious. If the wound looks more than surface deep and there is a very red and raw-looking quarter-sized patch, you should get help for it.
Small cuts. For small cuts, an adhesive bandage with a nonstick pad over the cut is adequate. Clean and dry the skin around the wound and be sure to touch only the adhesive and not the pad when applying it. Special shapes and bandages that can be cut to fit are available for knuckles, fingertips, and joints.
Don’t use butterfly bandages or wound closure strips. If you bring the edges of a wound together with a butterfly bandage or other closure device but haven’t cleaned it properly, you greatly increase the risk of infection.
Infection. Watch any cut or injury that has broken the skin for signs of infection. Even under ideal medical conditions, 5 percent of wounds become infected. Things to look for:
- Increasing pain
- Redness, swelling or heat
- Pus or thick, greenish fluid
- Red streaks under the skin extending from an injury in an extremity toward the body
- Fever
If you note signs of infection, see a doctor. Antibiotics may be necessary to clear it up.
Dr. Joshua Kreithen is proud to be regarded as one of the leading cosmetic surgeons Sarasota is home to. His excellent reputation is a result of years of advanced surgical training, attentive patient care, and sophisticated procedures. Some of the individuals Dr. Kreithen regularly consults and treats include breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction Sarasota patients. In addition, he specializes in post-bariatric plastic surgery, including lower body lift, arm lift and thigh lift.
