It is difficult to insure yourself against cuts. They can be obtained by doing ordinary homework, apartment or car, in the country or at work. An accidental and untreated cut is dangerous due to suppuration and complications. In the article we will tell you how to handle cuts, and how to do it correctly. We will also describe how to act so that there are no unpleasant consequences, and the wound quickly healed.
Types of cuts
Anyone who wants to know how to handle a cut needs to find out what caused the wound and how deep the damage was.
Let's look at the most common types of cuts:
- Cut with a blunt object. It may be a wound after falling onto the asphalt. As a result, not only skin damage occurs, but also severe muscle contusion. And this complicates the treatment process.
- Cut with a sharp object. There are two types of wounds: lacerated or flat. Torn wound - from uneven glass, a specially serrated knife, from any sharp object with irregularities. Flat wound - from a household knife, a glass fragment with smooth edges, a sharp object without nicks. Usually these are deep cuts, with damage not only to the muscles, but also to the ligaments.
- Cut with a sharp and thin object. Otherwise, it is called a puncture. It may be a wound from a regular needle. The whole danger of such an injury is that it is not only a deep, but narrow cut. As a result, it is difficult to stop the blood. A specific bruise and swelling quickly appear.
- Not just a cut, but a practically cut off part of the body, for example, a finger. In this case, it is important to protect the open part of the wound from microbes.
There are also combined species. For any type of injury, it is important to know the basic first aid measures and how to handle cuts.
First aid
Stages of first aid for cuts :
- Visual inspection of the wound.
- Rinse the cut with water.
- Do not touch the wound itself to avoid infection. But when the cut was done with a dirty object, contact cannot be avoided. Rinse the wound thoroughly with a cleansing and disinfecting agent. If this was not at hand, then baby soap will do.
- Severe bleeding, it should be stopped. Either by pressing a finger on a blood vessel, or, when possible, apply a tourniquet. If there is a cut on the arm or leg, it will reduce bleeding if the limb is above the level of the body. You just need to lay the victim and raise his arm / leg.
- Before applying the tourniquet, it is necessary to determine which vessel is damaged: a vein or an artery. Arterial blood bright red, scarlet. Venous darker, almost burgundy. A tourniquet is placed on the artery above the wound. In the vein - below the cut. The duration of use of the tourniquet depends on the condition of the patient, on average - from 40 minutes to one and a half hours. Otherwise, tissue necrosis may begin.
- Re-disinfection of the wound after stopping the bleeding. Cream "ARGOSULFAN ® " promotes the healing of abrasions and small wounds. The combination of the antibacterial component of silver sulfathiazole and silver ions helps to provide a wide range of antibacterial action of the cream. You can apply the drug not only to wounds located in open areas of the body, but also under dressings. The tool has not only a wound healing, but also an antimicrobial effect, and in addition, promotes wound healing without a rough scar 1 .
- The best option is hydrogen peroxide. If the wound is deep, then you need to make sure that the peroxide does not contribute to the formation of an air plug in the blood vessel. With minor cuts, alcohol, zelenka, iodine can be used for disinfection.
- The final procedure. Apply a wet bandage (sterile) or a cloth to the wound. When dry, they can stick to the wound.
While emergency procedures are being done or immediately after they are completed, an ambulance should be called. If the injury is not particularly dangerous, you can go to the nearest hospital yourself. Below we will describe in detail how to handle cuts. We also consider the procedure for carrying out the procedures, depending on the depth of damage.
The first stage of treatment - examination and washing of the wound
How to handle a cut on the finger? If the finger is damaged, the processing procedure is divided into 4 stages. The first is inspection and flushing. Inspection of the cut is done in order to detect foreign objects in the wound. These may be the remnants of what the damage was done; particles of dirt; pieces of glass. Removing a foreign body is better with tweezers. Then it is recommended to wash the cut. To do this, pour hydrogen peroxide on the wound. As a result of a chemical reaction, the drug will begin to foam. Thus, the remains of uncleaned dirt will be washed out of the cut. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide disinfects the wound. For washing the cut, a solution of furatsilin, soapy water are also suitable. If the choice was made in favor of a soap solution, then after the wound, you need to rinse with additional clean water. This stage is no less important than the following three. The correctness of its conduct will depend on how quickly the wound will heal and what kind of scar will remain.
Blood Stop Stage
When the wound is not deep, bleeding stops on its own. If the blood does not stop flowing after 15 minutes, then you should raise your hand with a damaged finger, after applying a bandage. If the blood flows through the bandage and does not stop for more than half an hour, then there are problems with clotting. Self-stop bleeding does not work. You need to contact the hospital department, as hemostatic drugs are needed. And then only the doctor will determine how to treat the cut on the arm.
It is forbidden in this case to remove the applied bandage, since it sticks to the wound. And its removal will only increase bleeding. Strongly and improperly applied dressings can cause irreparable harm.
Stage Three - Wound Treatment Procedure
After stopping the bleeding, it is necessary to treat the wound. If a bandage has been applied, then you need to remove it correctly. To facilitate removal without causing pain or to avoid repeated bleeding, the dressing is moistened with a solution of furacilin. So the adherent tissue will calmly move away from the wound. After removing the bandage, the cut is additionally wiped with the same solution until the bandage is completely removed. After the wound needs to be dried with clean material. Than to process a cut on a finger further, with iodine or brilliant green, does not play a big role. The main thing is to make sure that the disinfectant does not get on the wound itself, since it can burn living tissue and add pain. It is necessary to process only the edges of the cut. A small amount of healing ointment should be applied to the wound itself. Otherwise, it will only soak the cut and delay healing. At the end, if necessary, a second dressing is applied. The procedure for treating wounds can be single and repeated. It is necessary to monitor how the edges of the cut are tightened. How to treat a cut wound during repeated dressings? This is advised by a doctor.
Stage Four - Applying the Dressing Properly
To facilitate the removal of the bandage, we recommend wrapping your finger in a small piece of paper. Previously, it is moistened with hydrogen peroxide. The paper will protect against pain during the change of bandage. Important: not every paper is suitable. Only clean (without printing ink), durable (napkins do not fit), not very rough are selected. Before applying a bandage on top of the paper, you need to try to connect the edges of the wound. This is important for deep cuts. The dressing should be tight enough, but not to prevent bleeding. With proper blood flow, the wound will heal faster. To determine if a bandage is applied tightly is simple: you need to follow your finger. If it begins to turn blue or becomes cold, the bandage should be loosened. With a small cut, a callus patch is also suitable. Bandage change is necessary once, during the day.
Why can't we make mistakes in the treatment of wounds?
If an error was made during the processing of the cut or the dressing, the wound will heal longer or may fester. Therefore, it is worth paying due attention to the treatment of wounds on the finger. The situation is more complicated with severe cuts. And how to handle a deep cut on the arm? In this case, even knowing all the features, you can not do without the help of a doctor.
How to handle a deep cut of a finger? Sequence of manipulations
Deep cuts require more complex processing and proper attention. Since not only the skin and muscles are damaged here, the wound can harm the tendons and nerve endings. There are cases with damage to the bones. With a deep cut, the finger loses its sensitivity, and also does not bend or bend. Basic medical care can only be provided by doctors. Sometimes the connection of tendons and muscles in an operative way is required.
What to do and how to treat a deep cut before the ambulance arrives or before going to the hospital? First of all, you need to determine which vessel is damaged: capillary, artery or vein. If the blood flows spasmodically, pulsatingly, then an important vessel is damaged. Such bleeding requires an urgent stop by applying a tourniquet. To prevent tissue death, the bandage is periodically (after 30 minutes) weakened.
When the blood does not flow too much, a small amount can be leaked. This is done so that the blood itself washed foreign objects and dirt.
The cut must be washed, otherwise the microbes will quickly begin to spread through the blood. Here again, hydrogen peroxide is recommended. He will wash the remnants of dirt, help in stopping blood and disinfect the wound. Many people are interested in learning how to treat cuts for quick healing. It is hydrogen peroxide that doctors recommend.
Do not rinse deep cuts with running water. It contains substances that will harm the wound. After these procedures, you need to apply a not very tight bandage. You can use a bandage or cloth.
How to bring the victim to life?
While emergency help arrives, you need to hold your hand above your head. If the victim is hard, you need to help him in this matter. Often people are afraid of one type of blood and lose consciousness. In this case, the victim must be brought to life:
- mandatory access to fresh air;
- do earlobe massage;
- slight blows to the cheeks;
- give liquid ammonia.
When should I go to the hospital?
You need to go to the hospital in the following situations:
- With large and deep cuts.
- If the blood does not stop.
- Unable to remove the foreign body on its own.
- When the cut is applied with a contaminated object.
- Suppuration, swelling, and discoloration of the skin around the wound began.
- Fever and general weakness.
- The cut does not heal for a long time.
When contacting a doctor, it is necessary to tell how the cut occurred and what measures were taken.
Conclusion
The most important thing when you see a wound is not to panic. Knowing the sequence of manipulations and how to process cuts, you need to pay all attention to the correct processing. This is the only way to help yourself quickly. It’s a little harder to treat the cut to the child. Before starting the procedure, you need to calm the baby. Then try to immobilize the damaged part of the body, and then start processing. Remember that proper wound treatment is the key to quick healing.