Managing wounds at home

1. A wound is a disruption of the normal structure and function of the skin.
2. Antibiotic therapy is not indicated in all the wounds and is reserved only for infected wounds.
3. It is important to keep blood sugar under control while managing a wound.
4. All wounds which are contaminated or with foreign bodies need debridement.
5. Irrigation or the wound is the best for reducing bacterial load and removing loose material.
6. Irrigation can be done with worm saline.
7. Principles of wound management are – scrub, clean and dressing.
8. Scrubbing means that dressing should be done with clean hands, which requires proper scrubbing of the hands.
9. Would cleaning means that the wound should first be cleaned and finally after cleaning it requires a proper dressing.
10. Some wounds may require suturing, especially if the wound is of less than six hours duration.
11. In an accident if a finger is cut or a tooth is removed, one should preserve the finger or the tooth and take it to the nearest hospital along with the patient for reimplantation.
12. The best way to carry the amputated finger or uprooted tooth is to put them in a plastic bag and that bag to be put in a box containing ice.
13. Skin burns should be treated firstly by putting the area under the running water till the burning disappears.
14. In a patient with burns, the blister that forms should not be punctured.
15. Presence of pain is also good sign and indicates that the burns are superficial.