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Managing wounds at home

• A wound is a disruption of the normal structure and function of the skin.
• Antibiotic therapy is not indicated in all wounds and is reserved only for infected wounds.
• It is important to keep blood sugar under control while managing a wound.
• All wounds, which are contaminated or have foreign bodies, need debridement.
• Irrigation of the wound reduces bacterial load and also removes loose material.
• Wound irrigation can be done with warm saline.
• Principles of wound management are: scrub, clean and dress.
• Scrubbing means that dressing should be done with clean hands, which requires proper scrubbing of the hands.
• Would cleaning means that the wound should first be cleaned.
• After cleaning, the wound requires a proper dressing.
• Some wounds may require suturing, especially if the wound is of less than six hours duration.
• In an accident if a finger is cut or a tooth is removed, one should preserve the finger or the tooth and take it to the nearest hospital along with the patient for reimplantation.
• The best way to carry the amputated finger or uprooted tooth is to put them in a plastic bag and put that bag in a box containing ice.
• Skin burns should be treated firstly by putting the area under the running water till the burning disappears.
• In a patient with burns, the blister that forms should not be punctured.
• Presence of pain is also a good sign and indicates that the burns are superficial. more