How to Care For a Minor Wound

This topic came up because my mom was bitten by a brown recluse spider (so the doctor thinks) and the wound that she ended up with was quite amazing! What started out as two red dots turned into two large blisters that later burst, leaving two open wounds. She was curious as to how she should clean her wound. At first, she was scrubbing it - not a good thing to do because the site became more irritated. I discussed the matter with her, and once she understood what to do, her wound started to get better.

This is what I told her:

There are two goals that we keep in mind when we take care of a wound - (1) we want to help it heal and (2) keep it from getting infected.

Treating a minor wound involves three steps:

1. Clean the wound.

2. Use an over-the-counter antiseptic solution and/or a topical antibiotic.

3. Cover the wound with the correct bandage.

Using normal saline solution (sodium chloride 0.9%) to wash out the wound is the best option there is when cleaning the site. You can simply pour it over the wound or use a blue bulb (most commonly found in the baby section of a store) for gentle cleansing. A product that is found in most drugstores is called Wound Wash Saline. This product comes as a spray in a can and it allows for gentle cleansing of the wound.

First-aid antiseptics are substances that are put on the unbroken skin surrounding the wound (up to the edges of the site) - they should not be put right on the wound because they can damage the new skin that is trying to grow. The purpose of using an antiseptic is to prevent infection of the area around the site. Be sure to get rid of any blood, pus, etc. that may be leaking from the wound onto the unbroken skin around the wound - this will allow the antiseptic to do its job to the fullest.

NOTE: Hydrogen Peroxide is the most popular antiseptic solution, but it offers little help to the unbroken skin surrounding a wound.

First-aid antibiotics are useful in keeping infection of the wound from happeningput. These products are applied directly on the wound. After 5 days of using an OTC first-aid antibiotic, if you notice there is no healing of the wound taking place, you should have your doctor look at it. Also, long-drawn-out use of these products may lead to a fungal infection, which can slow healing.

In order to cover the wound in the best way possible, you should use a bandage that will keep the wound site moist. The bandage should be able to fit well no matter where the wound is located on the body and you should use a size that is appropriate. Believe it or not, gauze is not always the best option for open wounds because it can dry out wounds and tear away new skin when you take it off - this slows healing and can lead to scarring.

NOTE: The information in this article is for taking care of minor wounds. If you have a chronic wound (it has been around for a while), a serious laceration (a cut caused by a sharp object), or a puncture (a deep wound caused by sharp object), you should see your doctor.

There you go...that's my blurb on wound care!

Hey there, my name is Cate Sibley, and along with my good friend Nova, I run a site called http://www.getpharmacyadvice.com I am a licensed pharmacist trying to share my knowledge and offer help to those with questions relating to their medications and health - something I have a hard time doing while at the pharmacy due to lack of time and privacy. Come to my site and I will be sure to give you what you need. In return, you will be giving me the opportunity I've been looking for with my pharmacy career -the chance to help you and others in a private and hassle-free manner.

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