How to prevent cuts and scrapes from getting infected?

If someone has just fallen and scraped their knees or cut themselves, what do you do? Here are some ways to treat minor scrapes and cuts and get that person on the road to recovery.

Inspect It

The first thing that needs to be done is to look at the scrape or cut and see if there are any slivers or pebbles that may have stuck inside of it. If so, dip tweezers into rubbing alcohol and pull the slivers or pebbles out from the area. Re-apply the alcohol each time you pull an item out. The rubbing alcohol will help to avoid a bacterial infection from occurring later.

Hydrogen Peroxide Wash

When there is nothing stuck in the cut or scrape, the next step is to thoroughly rinse the area with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an antimicrobial agent that will help prevent any infections from developing inside of the wound. Hydrogen peroxide can be placed onto a cotton ball or gauze and just dabbed a few times on the area to clean it out and get rid of any excess blood.

Examine It

After inspecting and washing the area, look at the area again to see if blood is gushing out or slowly streaming out. If blood is gushing out, the wound is definitely not minor, and a trip to the ER or a physician is in order. If it’s a small stream, it is best to take gauze and add some light pressure to the area. The blood should soon stop - it is then best to rewash the area with hydrogen peroxide.

Neosporin

Add some Neosporin to the area, since hydrogen peroxide is only an antimicrobial agent and not an antibacterial ointment. Neosporin will give the cut or scrape an antibacterial treatment and prevent it from scarring. Before placing an adhesive strip over the area, allow the cut or scrape to air out with the Neosporin on it.

Adhesive Strip

Add the adhesive strip very gently. Make sure that it is not on the area too tightly, as air will help heal the wound as well. Be sure to keep an on-hand supply of various sizes of adhesives, since you may have to adjust the size of the adhesive to that of the scrape or cut.