Six First Aid Basics Every Household Should Know for Cuts and Puncture Wounds

It happens in any household at any point in time: someone gets a scrape, a cut, or a puncture wound, and you have to administer first aid. Fortunately, performing first aid isn’t that hard when you know what to do, so here are ten basics that you should know and practice when helping someone out!

Rinse the Wound Under Water First

When and where possible, you want to start off with water to get a clearer idea of what is going on with the wound. You don’t want something that will fizz or burn because that can actually damage the already injured cells of the open wound.

Another reason that you use water first is that cool water is going to feel better on cuts and wounds that are going to start heating up as the body sends more blood, white blood cells, and other healing factors to help start the healing process.

Check for Debris

This can be one of the more painful parts of first aid, so make sure that you are as gentle as you can be. You may have to slightly pull at the edges of the wound to visually inspect the area.

For punctures, especially from nails, you can miss pieces of rust that can cause lockjaw. To find out more about lockjaw and what you can do to prevent it in household puncture wounds, read this blog by JS Dental Lab.

Use Hydrogen Peroxide For Debris Removal

While you can definitely remove larger pieces of debris with tweezers or even a cotton swab, you want to make sure you get out every granule to allow for proper healing and decrease the chances of infection.

For this, run a stream of hydrogen peroxide over the wound and don’t let the liquid sit for long or change the color of the skin. Hydrogen peroxide is called a debriding agent, which means that it will bleach and damage the cells of the wound if left on too long. Rinse with water after you use it!

Use Pressure to Stop the Bleeding

Once you have checked the depth of the wound and cleaned out what you could, it is time to stop the bleeding and help the wound start closing up.

Here, you want to use something sterile like new gauze or fresh paper towels to press over the wound. Keep firm pressure and check periodically to see if the bleeding has slowed enough for bandages or if you still need to help the coagulation process get going.

Use Sterile Bandages

There’s something that you want to keep in mind when finally bandaging up the wound or puncture spot: don’t use bandages that are torn or opened! Not only do you want to avoid open bandages, but you also want to avoid older bandages that are over three or five years old. These can lose their adhesive and also lose their sterility.

Other than sterility, make sure you are using enough bandaging to cover the entire wound so that it is protected from the local environment. That’s the job of a bandage: protection. For longer cuts or ones that are a little bit deep, don’t hesitate to use a handy butterfly stitch. You can either make one following this tutorial, or they can also come pre-made.

Always Use Triple Antibiotic

Yes, you may have already used hydrogen peroxide, but that cleans out the immediate bacteria, not the bacteria that will continue to grow in the skin. Don’t worry though! The vast majority of this bacteria is on your skin naturally and exists as a part of your biome.

What you want to prevent is the bacteria from going wild in a wound where there are fresh nutrients and nutrient-dense blood that can feed the bacteria. That’s what causes most infections, so using something like a triple antibiotic, including most over-the-counter options, prevents the bacteria from growing in the wound. It is not a catch-all, but rather a preventative.

When in Doubt, Call the Professionals

The cut or puncture seems pretty deep? Call the professionals. There was rusty metal involved? Call the professionals. The bleeding won’t stop? Definitely call the professionals! In any case, if you are unsure of how to handle the situation, call your local doctor’s office or EMS. You can explain the situation and then make a decision if you need to utilize emergency services or not. Trust your gut and take care of yourself!

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.