First aid steps – care for open wounds
First aid care for an open wound will help stop bleeding, limiting excessive blood loss, which can lead to very serious consequences. In addition, the process of first aid should pay attention to maintaining and supporting the victim’s breathing and circulation, limiting the risk of infection. To do the above effectively, it is necessary to follow the following sequence of steps:
Hand hygiene
Washing hands with soap / antiseptic solution before performing first aid will help prevent and limit the penetration of pathogens that cause infection. If possible, use medical gloves to help limit contact with the victim’s blood and secretions.
Stop bleeding
Based on the actual condition of the injury as well as the nature of the injury to give appropriate first aid and hemostasis methods. Absolutely not proceed recklessly, recklessly leading to wound infection.
Hemostasis can be performed with a number of techniques such as: compression bandages, maximal limb flexion, button banding, arterial pressure, …
Wound cleaning
Take care of the wound and clean it with a saline / clean water solution to remove dirt, debris (if any), use a gentle towel afterwards.
If the wound is formed by the impact of foreign objects that have penetrated deep into the skin-bone, it is absolutely not allowed to pull out or act on them. Please take the patient to the nearest hospital for timely intervention and help from a qualified doctor.
Bandage
Taking care of the wound with a bandage after stopping the bleeding will help keep the wound clean and limit the risk of possible infection. However, it should be noted that the wound should not be bandaged too tightly, which will hinder blood circulation or bring discomfort to the patient.
Dressing changes
Wounds need to be changed daily or when the dressing is dirty or wet. During the initial period following an injury, the medication prescribed by your doctor should be applied after each dressing change.
You should immediately go to a medical facility to check the wound if there is an infection through the following signs: the wound takes a long time / does not heal, is red and swollen, and the infection is severe or accompanied by pus. / abnormal translation,…
Wound care- recognize signs of infection
If the process of first aid, treatment and wound care is not carried out at the right time, timely treatment may lead to infected wounds, affecting health. At that time, we should not be subjective when caring for an open wound that shows some of the following signs of infection:
- The wound appears yellow or has a greenish fluid, which may be accompanied by pus and a very unpleasant fishy odor.
- At the site of the wound, there will be pain, redness and swelling.
- At the wound mouth, there will be signs of change in size, signs of red and swollen wounds will spread to the surrounding areas. around
- The pain in the wound does not show any signs of improvement even after using home remedies to relieve pain.
- The patient’s body begins to feel fatigue and weakness accompanied by fever.
Care for an infected open wound
When an open wound is infected, if it is not treated and cared for properly, it can lead to many complications and serious consequences, especially wound necrosis. At that time, when it is discovered that the open wound has become infected, it is necessary to give first aid promptly and immediately go to medical facilities for timely care by doctors.
Depending on the condition, physical strength, location and health of the patient as well as the time of wound formation, appropriate treatment methods can be selected.
- If the wound is slightly red and swollen, clean the wound with salt water 3 times a day, about 15 minutes each time, then gently dry with medical cotton.
- If the wound is in a sutured state, absolutely do not soak in water to avoid increasing the risk of infection.
- In case of need, the doctor can prescribe antibiotics / pain relievers, anti-inflammatory.
- The surgical operation to clean the wound / conduct cutting to remove the infected tissue, can not be restored when the open wound has become seriously infected.
- If inflammation, pus appears with a fishy-smelling fluid, the doctor will suck pus from the skin to repair the damage.
Wound care – when to see a doctor
Completely open wounds can be first aided, treated, and monitored at home under the guidance of a doctor. However, it is necessary to immediately bring the patient to the nearest medical facility for examination and help if injured in the following cases:
- Performing hemostasis is not effective, the bleeding is still continuous, there is no sign of stopping after a few minutes.
- Wounds formed by human impact/animal bites.
- The location of serious injury near the head, neck, chest or abdomen causes crushing or large openings.
- The site of injury is deeply punctured and penetrates the joints.
- Injury causing severed limb (during the time of waiting for emergency care, the severed limb should be stored in a clean, sealed plastic bag and must be refrigerated).
- With the wound condition begins to appear signs of infection / cannot be cleaned with normal measures.