Our skin protects vulnerable internal organs from injury. It often
gets damage.Therefore, effective first aid can help
to speed up
healing process and prevent infection.
Wet, weepy wounds need to be covered. If you are in dirty
conditions, fresh wound is best protected. But, dry wound should be
left uncovered in clean conditions.
Whenever there is
bleeding, it''s better to allow a wound to bleed
for a while. In this way, the flow of blood can help to wash dirt
and bacteria away. However, if bleeding is profuse, it should be
stopped immediately.
In the case which there is broken limb and could not be moved,
raise the limb to reduce blood
pressure. Then, use a clean bandage
to apply firm pressure to the wound. Constant pressure needed for
at least five minutes. If blood seeps through the bandage, don''t
change, just add more bandage on top.
After stopping the bleeding, the wound needs to be cleaned. Wound
can be cleaned using mild antiseptics or soap and water. Using too
strong a solution may damage the tissues and make the wound worst.
If there is grit in the wound, a quick but gently scrub with a
clean brush under running water is aneffective way to remove it.
Large pieces of grit should be removed by using tweezer. Brush out
last bits of dirts with small swabs of cotton soaked in antiseptic.
Then, clean around the wound using fresh antiseptic swabs. Finally,
clean the wound by using separate swabs for every stroke. Work
from the centre out.
Lastly, apply a dressing to the wound. Small cut can be covered
with plaster. Non-stick dressing is the best for a small wound so
that it can be removed easily without harming the scab. Large
wound needs to be covered with sterile gauze dressings that take in
the skin surrounding the wound.