How do you treat a wound?

In such situations, it is very important to know how to properly treat a wound to prevent infections and speed up the healing process. In this article we discuss step by step what wound care looks like for different types of wounds. For quality wound care products click on the link.

Crucial first step in wound care

Hygiene is the most important thing in wound care for any type of wound. Before touching the wound, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. This prevents bacteria from entering the wound and causing infections. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies on hand before you start: clean water, clean cloths, bandages and bandages. And make sure you have good scissors to cut your plasters with. Buy a decent pair of tape scissors via this link . For good disinfection of your hands, use this alcohol gel . If the wound is bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a clean gauze or bandage to stop the bleeding. 

Call 112

In these cases it is important that you call the emergency number:

• If someone faints due to a large or deep, heavily bleeding wound.

• When there is still an object in the wound.

• If there is a squirting blood vessel. First, apply pressure to the wound yourself and then call 112 as quickly as possible.

Cut or tear wound care

In case of a slightly bleeding cut or tear wound, you should rinse the wound with lukewarm water for 1 to 2 minutes. This will flush away dirt from the wound. Do not use disinfectants, such as iodine, or soap. Consult your doctor whether the wound needs stitches and whether you need a tetanus shot. Paracetamol can be taken against the pain.

Is suturing necessary?

A superficial wound only needs to be rinsed and then dried thoroughly. After this, cover the wound with a plaster. For other wounds, it is important to consult your doctor. The doctor ensures that wound edges are close to each other. This will stop the bleeding faster and the wound will heal faster. A doctor uses three methods for this:

• The dovetail plasters

• Medical bonding

• Attach

Once the wound is closed after this treatment, it does not need to be covered . If the wound is still leaking, you can cover the wound.

Treating a burn

If you burn yourself, you should immediately cool the burn for 10 to 20 minutes with gently running lukewarm water. Clear the area of ​​clothes and jewelry, unless clothes are stuck in the wound. Cover the burn with plastic cling film and call the doctor. Do not touch the wound or apply ointment to the wound. It is better not to use a bandage, because it can stick to the wound.

Heal abrasion

If your scrape is bleeding, you can apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. In the case of an arm or leg, you can bandage the wound and then hold your limb high. Dry abrasions do not produce fluid or blood. In this case, you can rinse the wound in lukewarm water. Do this for about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not use disinfectant or soap. Is there still dirt in the wound? Then rub with a wet washcloth or wet gauze. If there are coarser dirt, such as grains of sand or splinters in the wound, you should use tweezers to remove the mess. The wound should air dry as this will form a protective scab. For deeper abrasions or wounds that will suffer from friction, it is better to cover the wound with a plaster afterwards.

Treating a bite wound

You treat a bite wound the same as a cut, except when there is a chance that you have contracted the rabies virus. In this case, rinse with lukewarm water for fifteen minutes. Then disinfect the wound with 70% alcohol. And then call the doctor. Open wounds should also be tied with a clean bandage or cloth before calling the doctor. The doctor will then check whether the wound needs stitches. He also checks whether any tendons, muscles or joints are damaged. If so, he will send you to the hospital. He also does this if there is a chance that you have contracted a virus from the bite wound.