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| We are not professional medical officers. We cannot take responsibility for the consequences which arise from the information on these pages. If you have a wound that is possibly infected, that is bleeding heavily, or you are concerned about it, we urge you to go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department. |
| Superficial Laceration / Cut (damage to top layers of skin - small amount of blood) |
| The main objective is to keep it clean. Washing it with water should suffice. (You may want to use an anti-bacterial, but research has shown that these are not of benefit unless the wound is infected). |
| If the wound is bleeding, apply pressure. If the laceration is superficial, it should not bleed for long. If you suffer from a blood disorder like haemophilia, please visit your local accident and emergency. If you have taken aspirin, this will make your blood thinner and it may bleed for a longer period of time, keep pressure on your wound for longer. |
| Cover your wound with a plaster or a small bandage. One can be easily made from clean cloth and some sticky tape. Keep an 'eye' on your wound to make sure it doesnt become infected. It should form a scab and heal within a number of days. |
| Deep Wound |
| A deeper wound will involve more layers of damaged tissue. It is important to be aware that there will be more blood coming from the wound, therefore you will need to apply more pressure for a longer period of time. Hold your arm in an upright position and place pressure on the wound with wadding (cloth). If the blood comes through the cloth - add more cloth on top of it. Do not remove what you have already placed on your wound. (This will help to clot the blood). If the wound has stopped bleeding, follow out the same procedure as above, by washing the wound and applying a bandage. If you are able to close your skin together, it may be wise to use 'Steri-strips'. These will help hold your wound together as it heals and will reduce the scarring. |
| You need medical attention |
| If the blood appears to be 'pumping' out of your wound you may have hit an artery. Apply a pressure bandage by wrapping a cloth around your wound as tightly as you can. After doing this, you need to get medical treatment as soon as possible - if you do not, the result could be fatal. You may also need medical attention if you have a bad infection - this too, could prove fatal. |
| Signs of Infection |
| Pain, pus, redness, swelling, foul odour, heat - present to the site of wound. You may also find you acquire a fever. You may find that Ibuprofen, Tylenol and Aspirin help with the fever and pain. |
| Clean warm moist compresses may be applied to the wound site, if infected. |