How To Dress An Open Wound

One never knows what's going to happen in this life. That's why it's always good to be prepared for extremes. If you are fishing in the Great North Woods and accidentally slip and knock your head against a rock, it would be a good idea to know how to care for a large gash. By carrying emergency medical supplies or any EMS gear you can drastically reduce the consequences of an injury. The following information may seem like an unlikely resource, but you never know. It's better to be safe than sorry.

1. If the gash is serious there will be a lot of blood. The first step in cleaning a wound is to stop the blood flow. Direct pressure is the best means by which you can control the flow of blood. In the same way that ice can't form on a flowing river, blood can't clot from a flowing wound.

2. Next, cleaning the wound with water and soap is ideal. Saline solution also does a great job and may be easier on the cut, but if it is unavailable any kind of water and soap work well. The wound must be kept clean in order to avoid infection, and if it appears dirtied afterwards, it ought to be cleaned again. If bleeding begins again during cleaning, more pressure will stop it. Sop the blood up with a clean towel.

3. Cover the wound in an antibiotic ointment and lay an adhesive dressing over it. If hair is in the way, wrap the wound loosely. Change the covering every 12 hours to ensure that the wound is healing and staying clean.

4. For lacerations and incisions (cuts) pull the skin together and hold it with a butterfly dressing. Place a bandage over the cut. For avulsions (loose flaps of cut skin) butterfly dressings also work the same way. Wounds that are superficial have not penetrated subcutaneous (fatty) tissue and will not require butterfly dressings.

5. If the wound is especially deep or large, stitches will probably be required. If you do not have access to immediate medical attention however, the most important things are to keep the wound closed and clean. If the wound has potential for high contamination, like an animal bite, it probably will not be stitched. Similarly, if there is less severe contamination you will have at most six hours before stitches are impermissible. After eight hours stitching becomes less likely.

6. If this procedure is followed there most likely will not be complications. If there are, the wound is more serious and immediate medical attention is best. Numbing, tenderness or inflammation, red streaking around the wound and fever are signs that the patient is taking a turn for the worse.

Preparation for and immediate attention paid to severe cuts can dramatically decrease the appearance of scars and prevent the patient from experiencing more serious injury. Carrying a small first aid kit of emergency medical supplies is a great precautionary measure to take on an adventurous vacation or when engaging in any extreme activity.