Cleaning and Dressing a Wound
September 16th, 2011No one wants to have a wound but sometimes we encounter accidents which gives us bruises and scrapes on our skin. Cleaning a wound immediately is very important to get rid of all the dirt and debris that might cause infection. If a wound is not cleaned and treated well, then an infection might occur and it would be the cause of some serious complications and we do not want that to happen.
If a person is wounded, you have to be able to position the wound over a basin of water. The things you need are towel, soap, washcloth and a sterile gauze. It would be better if you have a first aid kit around. If you are in a place where there are no first aid kit materials, a piece of clean cloth will do.
You have to rinse the wound with a lukewarm water. See if there are any dirt or debris in the wound. You should continue rinsing the wound until you are sure that it is clean and no more dirt.
Get your clean cloth together with the soap and some water to wash the skin that surrounds the wound. You have to be gentle in washing the surrounding skin to avoid any more tear on the wound.
Gently blot the wound with a clean cloth or a sterilized gauze if you have one and continue washing it. With your towel, dry the area completely but do not rub directly on the wound. Again, you have to gently blot the area with a cloth or gauze to dry it.
Now that the wound is cleaned and not bleeding, you can proceed dressing it. However, if you see any infection or contamination do not dress the wound. If you are not sure that it is cleaned thoroughly or you cannot clean it yourself, you have to seek medical attention.
When you are ready, get your antiseptic ointment and dab some of it directly on the wound. This ointment will help in keeping out the germs. Now you can cover the wound with a light adhesive dressing. Remember to change the dressing every twelve hours. This is to make sure that the dressing which is in contact with the wound, is always clean.
If bleeding continue after dressing, you have to seek medical help immediately. Also, the water that you will use for cleaning should be drinking water. Do not get the water from any ponds or other bodies of water that are stagnant and not moving. And lastly, you can use gloves if you have one so that you would not get in contact with the person’s blood.