Severe loss of blood will quickly make you feel weak and tired (and maybe pass out), so tell someone around you of the seriousness of your injury right away, or call emergency services for assistance. [2] X Research source If you have a deep skin wound to your abdomen, your organs may be injured and bleeding internally, so try to get to an emergency medical facility as quick as you can — but get someone to drive you because you might lose consciousness, or call an ambulance.
If significant bleeding continues even after you apply pressure for 15-20 minutes, the wound may need immediate medical attention. Continue applying pressure and get to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center. If the bleeding is difficult to control, the person may be on blood thinners or have underlying clotting issues. In these cases, the person should be brought to the attention of a medical professional. Before coming in contact with the wound, put on sanitized medical gloves if available. If gloves aren’t available, wrap your hands in some sort of clean barrier such as a plastic bag or multiple layers of clean cloth. Use your bare hands to apply direct pressure to the wound only as a last resort because contact with blood can spread infectious diseases. Furthermore, use soap and water to disinfect your hands before contacting the wound, if possible. Doing so will minimize the possibility of transferring bacteria from your hands to the exposed injury.
If you’re dealing with a gunshot injury, don’t probe around the wound and try to pull out the bullet — leave that for medical professionals. If you are struggling to remove large pieces of debris from the injury site, consider leaving it for healthcare professionals rather than trying to handle it yourself. Pulling out large debris that is entangled with blood vessels may trigger more bleeding. Some first-aid experts recommend waiting to remove all debris until after you’ve rinsed the wound. If you see only small bits of dirt or grime, this might be the better way to approach the situation, since rinsing will likely wash away the small stuff.
If you can’t get the bleeding under control, you may have to use the ripped clothes or belt to make a tourniquet, which puts pressure on the arteries above the wound. However, tourniquets should only be used in emergency life-threatening situations and for short-periods of time because tissue starts to die within a few hours of not getting any blood. Once clothes are removed to clean and bandage the wound, they may need to be used as a makeshift blanket to cover the injured person and keep them warm.
Saline solution can be purchased commercially. Some experts recommend using a mild soap, such as Ivory dish-washing liquid, to get the wound as clean as possible, but sometimes soap can irritate injured tissue. [4] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you’re cleaning a wound near the eye, be careful not to get soap in the eye.
Apply an antibacterial cream to the wound at this stage prior to bandaging, if available. Antibacterial creams or ointments, such as Neosporin or Polysporin, help prevent infection. The cream will also keep the dressing from sticking to the wound. Alternatively, you may wish to add natural sanitizer to the wound, such as iodine solution, hydrogen peroxide, or colloidal silver (which is the only one that won’t sting). [5] X Research source Evaluate the wound after cleaning. Some wounds need stitches to heal properly. If you notice any of the following signs, seek medical attention rather than trying to bandage the wound yourself: the wound appears to be quite deep, it has jagged edges and/or it won’t stop bleeding.
If you don’t have actual dressings and bandages available, you can improvise using any clean cloth or piece of clothing. Lightly smearing the wound with antibiotic cream is beneficial not only to deter infection, but it will prevent the bandage or dressing from sticking directly to the wound. A bandage or dressing that sticks is likely to cause more bleeding when it’s removed. Butterfly bandages are helpful for holding the edges of a wound together. If you have a butterfly bandage, place it across the cut (rather than lengthwise) and pull the edges of the wound closer together.
Secure the elastic outer bandage with metal clips, safety pins, or tape. Consider placing a layer of plastic between the dressing and the outer bandage if there is strong likelihood that the wounded area will get wet. The extra layer of plastic will also provide additional protection from bacteria and other infectious agents. If the wound is located on your head or face, you may have to wrap the bandage around like a bandana and tie it tightly enough to keep it in place[6] X Research source
Signs of healing include reduced inflammation and swelling, less or no more pain and the formation of a scab. Healing of most skin wounds occurs within a few weeks, but deeper cuts can take up to a month to fully heal. [7] X Research source
Any red streaking of the skin around the wound may indicate an infection in the lymph system (system that drains fluid from tissues). [9] X Research source This infection (lymphangitis) can be life threatening, so prompt medical care should be sought. Consider a tetanus shot. Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that can develop from an infected wound, especially if you were punctured by a dirty object. If you have not received a tetanus booster within the past 10 years, you should see a doctor and get caught up on your shots.
