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• Method 1 of 2: Treating minor injuries at home
• Method 2 of 2: Get medical attention

Most minor wounds, such as a cut or scrape, can be easily treated at home. However, if you are dealing with a serious wound or infection, you may need to seek medical attention to make sure the wound is healing properly.

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Method 1 of 2: Treating minor injuries at home

1. Apply pressure to the wound to stop bleeding. First wash your hands and then press a clean dressing or cloth on the wound. Pre-washing your hands will prevent you from transferring bacteria from your hands to the wound. The pressure you apply slows down bleeding and helps the blood to clot.
   • If the wound is on an arm, hand, leg, or foot, you can slow bleeding by holding the limb above your heart. You can hold up one arm and hand. However, if the wound is on a foot or leg, you should lie down on the bed and place the leg on a pile of pillows.
2. Clean the wound. Rinse the wound with clean water. This will help remove dirt and other particles that could cause infection. Wash the skin around the wound with soap and a clean washcloth. Then gently pat the wound area and the wound itself dry with tissues.
   • If running water is unable to flush all of the debris out of the wound, you may need to remove it with tweezers. Wash and sterilize the tweezers with isopropyl alcohol before touching the wound with them. Then carefully try to remove any debris from the wound. If you are unable to remove everything, see your doctor or the emergency room for help.
   • If there is an object in the wound, you may not delete it. Rather than removing the item, see a doctor so that it can be removed safely without causing further damage.
   • Do not rub the wound with cotton wool as the material may remain in the wound. This increases the risk of infection and could hinder healing.
3. Prevent infection with a topical antibiotic. After you have stopped the bleeding and cleaned the wound, apply an antibiotic cream to protect the wound from infection. Creams and ointments containing an antibiotic, such as Neosporin or Polysporin, are available over-the-counter medications at a pharmacy near you. Use such a cream or ointment for one or two days.
   • Always read and follow the instructions on the packaging. If you are pregnant, nursing, or treating a child's wound, consult your doctor before using any ointment, cream, or other medication.
4. Do not apply antiseptics, such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, to the wound. Such agents can damage the tissue, making the healing process longer.
5. Cover the wound with a wound dressing. This prevents bacteria and debris from entering the wound. Depending on where the wound is located, a simple adhesive dressing may be sufficient. If the wound is larger and close to a joint, wrap it with sterile compresses and elastic bandages to keep the dressing in place.
   • Do not apply the bandage too tightly, as this could lead to reduced blood flow.
   • Change the dressing daily to prevent infection. If the dressing has become wet or dirty, replace it immediately.
   • Use a waterproof dressing or wrap plastic wrap over the dressing when you shower to keep the dressing and wound dry.
6. Keep a close eye on the wound to make sure it doesn't get infected. If the wound shows signs of infection, you should go to an emergency room. Look for the following signs:
   • Increasing pain over time
   • Warmth
   • Swelling
   • Redness
   • Inflammatory fluid (pus) drains from the wound
   • Fever

Method 2 of 2: Get medical attention

1. If you're dealing with a serious wound, go to the emergency room. Do not drive yourself to the GP or hospital if you are seriously injured. Have someone take you there or call the emergency services. You need professional medical attention if you have a wound that is bleeding profusely or can render you permanently disabled if the wound does not heal properly. This includes:
   • Arterial bleeding. If the blood is bright red in color and bursts from the wound when your heart beats, immediately call the emergency number to call the emergency services. It is extremely important that you get professional help as soon as possible before losing too much blood.
   • Bleeding that does not stop after pressure has been applied to the wound for a few minutes. This can happen when you're dealing with a deep wound, such as a cut. It can also occur if you have a blood disorder or are taking medication that prevents the blood from clotting.
   • Wounds that prevent you from feeling or moving a part of the body. This could indicate a deeper injury to the bone or tendons.
   • Wounds where an object is stuck. You can think of glass, shards or stones. In such a case, a doctor must remove the object to prevent infection.
   • Long, jagged cuts that are difficult to heal. If the cut is longer than two inches, you may need stitches to close the wound.
   • Injury to the face.Wounds on the face should be treated by a doctor to avoid scarring as much as possible.
   • Wounds where the risk of infection is high. This includes wounds that have come into contact with faeces (faeces), bodily fluids (including animal saliva or human bites), road dirt or soil.
2. Get your wound treated medically. The wound care that your doctor will recommend will likely vary depending on whether or not the wound is infected. If the wound is not infected, it will be cleaned and closed. By closing the wound quickly, scarring can be prevented. There are several techniques the doctor can use to close the wound:
   • Stitches. Wounds longer than six centimeters may be sutured with sterile suture. The stitches will be removed by a doctor after five to seven days for small wounds and after seven to fourteen days for larger wounds. Or, if the doctor considers it necessary, he or she will use dissolvable sutures that dissolve on their own during the healing process after a few weeks. Never remove stitches yourself. You could cause more injury or infection to the wound.
   • Skin glue. This substance is applied to the edges of the wound while it is being held together. As it dries, it will close the wound. The glue will come off on its own after about a week.
   • Adhesive strips. These are not really stitches. They are adhesive strips that are used to bring the wound edges together in case of skin injuries. The doctor will remove the strips after the wound has healed. You should not remove these strips yourself.
3. Have your doctor treat an infected wound. If your wound is infected, the doctor will treat the infection before closing the wound. If the wound is closed while it is still infected, the infection will be trapped, which means that a spread of the infection cannot be ruled out. Your doctor may:
   • Make a wound smear of the pathogen so that it can be studied and identified. This can help determine the best treatment.
   • Clean the wound and cover with a bandage that prevents the wound from closing.
   • Prescribe antibiotics to fight infection.
   • Ask if you would like to visit again in a few days so he or she can evaluate the wound to determine if the infection has been treated successfully. When this is the case, the doctor will close the wound.
4. Get a tetanus shot. Your doctor may want you to get a tetanus vaccination if the wound is deep or very dirty and you have not had a tetanus vaccination in the past five years.
   • Tetanus is a bacterial infection. It is also called "jaw clamp" or "wound spasm" as it can cramp the muscles in the jaw and neck. It can also cause breathing problems and can even be fatal.
   • There is no cure, so keeping up with and getting the right vaccinations is the best prevention.
5. If you are dealing with a wound that is not healing, visit a wound care center. Such wounds have not started healing after two weeks or have not healed after six weeks. Examples of wounds that are difficult to heal are pressure ulcers (bedsores), surgical wounds, radiation wounds and wounds due to diabetes, lack of blood supply, or swelling of the legs, which often occurs in the foot. In a wound care center you have access to:
   • Nurses, doctors and physiotherapists, who will teach you how to keep the wound clean and what exercises you should do to ensure good blood flow.
   • Specialized Therapies for the Removal of Dead Tissue. This may include excising or flushing the dead tissue with a syringe or in a special bath, chemicals can be used to dissolve the tissue, and moist and dry gauze can be used on the wound to absorb dead tissue.
   • Specialized procedures for promoting healing are: compression stockings to improve circulation, ultrasound therapy to promote healing, artificial skin to protect the wound during the healing process, removal of wound fluid with negative pressure therapy, providing you with growth factors promoting healing and applying hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve blood flow to tissues.