CUTS, SCRAPES, & BLISTERS

CUTS AND SCRAPES

Cut and scraps can result in minor or major damage to the skin. Children and older adult are more prone cuts and scraps due to their delicate skin. In some instances medication and other disease state can increase our ease of bruising .

Cuts that require medical attention include the following:

Deep cuts: Providers are usually more concerned with how deep a cut is rather than how long it is, because of the concern that deeper tissues like blood vessels, nerves or tendons may be damaged)
Exposed muscle tissue(red) or fat tissue (yellowish)
The cut stays open if you let go of the sides of the cut
The cut is on a joint or in an area where healing might be difficult (stitching might be needed to keep it closed)
The site remain visibly dirty after being cleaned.
The area continues to bleed longer than 10 minutes.

If the cut or scrape is infected, you may see one or more of these symptoms:

Pus or cloudy fluid is draining from the wound.
Scab has gotten bigger
Redness around the wound is worse.
More pain or swelling 48 hours after the injury.
Fever.
Wound doesn’t look like it’s healing.

HOW ARE SCRAPES TREATED?

Scrapes, unlike cuts, are not deep wounds, but they’re still painful because they can cover a large, sensitive area of skin. The most important part about treating a scrape is cleansing.

Scrapes should be cleaned regularly while they’re healing to keep the scab from getting too hard. A thick, hard scab can result in a more obvious scar. You may want to use an antibiotic ointment, usually available without a prescription, while the scrape is healing. If you want to cover the scrape, some bandages contain antibiotic padding, too. In addition, some commercial gauzes are available that have a coating to keep them sticking to the wound. This makes removing the dressing a lot easier and leaves the scab intact. It is important to keep the wound from drying out while it is healing – a moist wound will heal faster and have less scarring. It will also help prevent the dressing from sticking to the wound.

Scrapes or lacerations are injuries to the skin that remove the barrier that protects us from potential infections with bacteria, including Clostridium tetani, also know as tetanus, a harmful bacterium found in soil.