Cut

The Problem
Your skin or flesh has been sliced open.

Important Information About Cuts

• Most cuts will heal with simple self-care. However, if the cut has affected a muscle, tendon, ligament nerve, or joint, or if it is gaping, you may need medical care. A tetanus shot is necessary if skin is broken and your last tetanus shot was more than 5 years ago ( for dirty wounds ) or 10 years ago (for clean wounds).
• If you were bitten by an animal and the bite is more than superficial, the question of rabies, although a remote possibility, is the most serious concern. The primary carriers of rabies are skunks, foxes, coyotes, bates, raccoons, and opossums. Dogs, cats, and cattle also carry rabies, but more rarely, and rabies is extremely infrequent in squirrels, chipmunks, rats and mice. Rabid animals act strangely, attack without provocation, and may drool or “ foam at mouth.” Unless you are bitten by a pet cat or dog that you know is current on its immunizations, you may need a rabies vaccine and/or antriabies serum. Animal bites should be reported to your local health authority or animal control agency. See symptom chart on page39.
• Bites inflicted by people can be a source of infection, but bites inflicted by children are less likely to become infected than bites by adults. Call your nurse information service or doctor if there is a possibility that the biter has hepatitis B or is HIV positive, or if the bite is the result of abuse.

Self-Care Measures
For a cut:

• Rinse the cut with cold water. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water or 3% hydrogen peroxide, and rinse again. Remove dirt, glass, or any other foreign material with tweezers soaked in alcohol; however, if the material is deeply embedded, seek medical care.
• If the cut is bleeding, apply a pressure bandage, or hold a gauze pad tightly against it. Close a gaping cut with a butterfly bandage (see figures). If the wound is more than 3 or 4 millimeters deep and doesn’t stay closed with the use of a bandage, you may need stitches. Once scabs form, leave them alone.
• If the cut is painful (but without signs of infection –redness, swelling, pus), take aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen (see page27).

For a puncture wound:

• Let the wound bleed freely unless there is a great deal of blood loss or blood is spurting from the wound, in that case, apply direct pressure and call your nurse information service or doctor.
• If the object that caused the puncture is still in the wound, take it out with clean tweezers if you can do so without causing more injury.(soak the tweezers in alcohol for 20 minutes to clean them.)
• Clean the wound with warm water and soap. Do not cover the wound with a bandage unless it is likely to get dirty.
• Soak the wound in warm, soapy water 2 to 3 times a day for 4 to 5days. The will keep the wound open so that germs can drain from it.

Prevention
Exercise care when using sharp tools or kitchen implements. Store then safely, never jumbled together in a drawer. Never leave sharp kitchen implements in a sink full of water.
Wear heavy gloves when doing construction or repair work around the home.