Cuts, Puncture Wounds and Lacerations Treatment

Most cuts and lacerations affect only the skin and the fatty tissue beneath it. Usually they heal without permanent damage. However, injury to internal structures such as muscles, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments, or nerves presents the possibility of permanent damage. Your physician can decrease this likelihood.

It may be difficult for you to determine whether major blood vessels, nerves, or tendons have been damaged by cuts and lacerations. Bleeding that cannot be controlled with pressure, numbness or weakness in the limb beyond the wound, or inability to move fingers or toes normally call for ex-lamination by a physician.

Signs of infection such as pus oozing from the wound, fever, extensive redness and swelling will not appear for at least twenty-four hours. Bacteria need time to grow and multiply in cuts and lacerations. If these signs do appear, a physician must be consulted.

Stitching (suturing) of cuts and lacerations is a ritual in our society. The only purpose in suturing a wound is to pull the edges together to hasten healing and minimize scarring. Stitches are not recommended if the wound can be held closed without them, since they injure tissue to some extent.

See the doctor if the edges of the cuts and lacerations cannot be kept together, if signs of infection are present, or if the cut and laceration is not healing well within two weeks. Stitching must be done within eight hours of the injury, because germs begin to grow in the wound and can be trapped under the skin, causing it to fester.

Cuts and lacerations on the face, chest, abdomen, back or oral laceration is potentially more serious than hand laceration or one on the legs or arms (extremities). Cuts on the trunk or face should be examined by a physician unless the injury is very small or shallow. A call to the doctor's office will help you decide if the doctor's help is needed.

Facial cuts and lacerations in a young child who drools are often too wet to treat with bandages, so the doctor's help is usually needed. Because of potential disfigurement, all but minor facial wounds should be treated professionally. Stitching is often required in young children who are apt to pull off bandages, or in areas that are subject to a great deal of motion, such as the fingers or joints. Cuts in the palm that become infected can be difficult to treat, so do not attempt home treatment unless the cut is shallow.

Home Treatment For Cuts and Lacerations

Cleanse the cuts and lacerations. Cleaning the wound is very vital to laceration repair. Soap and water will do, but be vigorous. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) may also be used. Make sure that no dirt, glass, or other foreign material remains in the laceration wound. Antiseptics such as Mercurochrome and Merthiolate are unlikely to help, and some are painful. Iodine will kill germs, but it is not really needed and 'is also painful. (Betadine is a modified iodine preparation that is pain-less but costly). Make sure that you make steps to prevent laceration infection.

The edges of a clean, minor cuts and lacerations can usually be held together by "butterfly" bandages or, preferably, "steristrips"-strips of sterile paper tape. Apply either of these bandages so that the edges of the wound join without "rolling under."

See the doctor if the edges of the wound cannot be kept together by laceration stitches, if signs of infection appear (pus, fever, extensive redness and swelling), or if the cut is no-healing well within two weeks.