Cuts and Scrapes Treatment

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Once the injury has been cleansed and the bleeding stopped, keep the area clean and covered with a bandage until it has healed, usually for a week to ten days, depending on the severity of the cut. To preent infection, you may wish to apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, Betadine, or bacitracin before bandaging. replace the bandage with a clean one daily. You should als replace it if if becomes wet or dirty.

Emergency Treatment
To stop bleeding, apply firm pressure to the wound with a piece of sterile gauze or a clean cloth. Putting ice on the cut will also stop bleeding, because cold constricts blood vessels and slow blood flow. If you cut your mouth or tongue, use ice or a fruit-juice popsicle.

Cleanse and disinfect the site. For a minor cut or scrape, you can do this at home. Wash the wound with generous amounts of water. Thoroughly clean out any particles of dirt or foreign matter that may have gotten into the cut by holding the wound under running water. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a disinfectant. Once the injury has been cleansed and the bleeding stopped, cover it with an adhesive bandage. A wound that is covered is less likely to become infected.

If the bleeding does not stop within ten to fifteen minutes; if the edges of the skin are separated and the wound is open; if the wound is deep or extensive, and/or was caused by a dirty or rusty object; if there is foreign material embedded in the wound; or if the injury affects particularly sensitive parts of the body, such as the lips, see your doctor or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. You may require professional treatment including, possibly, stitches, which can help prevent infection, hasten healing, and make any scar that results smaller and less noticeable. Some doctors now use a gluing technique in place of stitches. Your doctor may also administer a tetanus shot, especially if it has been more than five years since you last had one.

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