What Are the Treatments for Wounds & Bleeding?

Wounds that open the skin require some kind of observation and treatment. Sometimes this treatment is simply to clean the area to prevent infection, but deeper, larger or more serious wounds can require more care.

Assessing and Cleaning the Wound

• As soon as the skin is injured, the damage should be assessed. Every wound should be cleaned to be sure the area is free from bacteria. Cleaning the wound can be done by simply holding the injury under clean running water, but if the area is exposed to bacteria, dirt, grease or other possible contaminants, an anti-bacterial soap or treatment should be used. While cleaning the wound it should be inspected to determine the depth of the wound and how much blood loss is occurring. If there is a large amount of blood loss or if the wound is deep enough to expose muscle, tendons or other deep tissue, the wound should be treated by a medical professional. Immediately cover the wound with sterile cloth, apply pressure and seek medical attention.

Dressing the Wound

• Once the wound is cleaned and it has been determined that stitches are not necessary, it can be assessed to determine what kind of bandage will be needed. If the bleeding hasn't stopped yet, be sure to apply pressure to the injured area and hold it for 10 minutes or until bleeding has stopped. Select an appropriate bandage--be sure to choose a bandage that is larger than the surface area of the wound. It should cover the entire wound and extend at least one quarter of an inch all around the wound. If the wound needs to be held close, using a butterfly bandage can be helpful. Strap the butterfly tightly across the wounded area and secure on both sides with adhesive tape, then cover the entire area with a larger bandage to keep contaminants out. If no butterfly is necessary, you can simply cover the wound with a bandage and tape it down if necessary. Using an antibiotic cream on the wound is helpful in most situations.

Aftercare of a Wound

• The bandaged wound should be checked, cleaned and re-bandaged at least twice a day until it has healed enough to be exposed. If at any time you see red streaks radiating out from the wound or it feels hot to touch, looks like pus is building up or turning yellow or if the injured person develops a fever, seek medical attention as these are signs of infection. It is also recommended that the injured person find out when his last tetanus shot was, and if it was more than 5 years ago, he should get a booster shot within 48 hours of the injury.