Cuts and Knife Wounds

(From: Street Medics for Tahrir)

m4t : Street Medics for Tahrir » contribute » Cuts and Knife Wounds

Call ambulance if

• Person is shot with a gun.
• Penetrating chest injury
• Person cannot breathe.
• You cannot stop bleeding.
• Person is no longer alert.

First-aid

• Protect yourself. Do not get cut or shot with a gun while trying to help, and cover your hands with gloves or plastic bags before touching blood.
• Stop all bleeding. Apply pressure to wound for at least 10 minutes and elevate injured area.
  • If you can not get to a doctor: For very bad bleeding, put Cayenne pepper powder (Capsicum spp.) in the wound before applying pressure. It hurts, but helps blood vessels to close, helps prevent shock, helps postpone infection.
• Do not remove an impaled object; stabilize impaled object in place and seek medical care.
• For nosebleed, do not tilt head backwards, pinch nose until bleeding stops. (Note: female tampons are great for inserting in nostril to stop a nose bleed if the cut is in the nostril).
• For eye injury, cover eye with clean gauze and seek medical care.

Aftercare

• Keep wound clean. Wash area gently with soap and water without scrubbing as the wound heals.
• When not washing, keep wound area dry. You can put honey on wound to encourage healing. Cover with dry sterile gauze pad or clean cloth.
• Change dressing at least daily or whenever dressing becomes wet or dirty.
• Do not pick at protective scab.
• Tetanus booster shot is recommended if you have not had one in 10 years.

See doctor if:

• Bitten by animal (or person).
• Cut on chest, back, abdomen, face, or hands, unless wound is very small.
• Wound cannot be fully cleaned of debris.
• Any deep puncture wounds.
• Any numbness, weakness, tingling sensation or cannot move beyond the wound.
• Any wound requiring stitches:
  • Cannot be closed.
  • Deep wound (see white fatty layer).
  • Jagged or bruised edges; flaps of skin.
  • Wound is in area (like on a joint) where edges may be pulled apart.
• Signs of infection develop (these signs do not occur until at least a day after the injury):
  • Increased redness, pain, swelling or warmth.
  • Red streaking of surrounding skin.
  • Pus draining from area.
  • Tender lumps or swelling in armpit, groin, or neck.
  • Foul odor from area.
  • Generalized chills or fever over 37.5C.
  • Not healing well within 1 to 2 weeks.
• If you are immunocompromised, have a chronic illness such as diabetes, or have prosthetic heart valves or orthopedic prostheses, ask your doctor about antibiotics to prevent infection.