First aid for abrasions and scratches in children – how to treat and how to treat

Children are, as every mother knows, small propellers with constantly switched on motors. The instinct of self-preservation at a young age is not yet fully developed, and the children have no time to reflect on this topic – there are so many interesting things around, and everything needs to be done! As a result – bruises, scratches and abrasions as a “gift” for mom. How to properly handle baby abrasions? Remember the rules of first aid!

The content of the article:

How to clean a scratch or abrasion in a child – instructions

The most important thing for all types of scratches, abrasions and wounds is to exclude infection. So washing out abrasions with broken knees or scratched palms is the first task:

• If the abrasion is not too deep, rinse it under a stream of boiled (or running, for lack of other) water.
• Gently wash the abrasion with soap (gauze pad).

• Rinse off the soap thoroughly.
• If the abrasion is heavily contaminated, gently wash it with hydrogen peroxide (3%). For this procedure, bandages / napkins are not even needed – pour in a thin stream directly from the bottle. Atomic oxygen released when the solution enters the wound eliminates all microbes.
• In the absence of hydrogen peroxide, you can wash the abrasion with a solution of potassium permanganate (1%). Note: pouring hydrogen peroxide into very deep wounds is prohibited (in order to avoid embolism, in this case, air bubbles entering the blood stream).

• Dry the wound with a sterile and dry gauze swab.
• Make sure all cut edges are clean and pull together easily.
• We bring the edges of the cut together (only for light abrasions, the edges of deep wounds cannot be brought together!), Apply a sterile and, of course, dry bandage (or a bactericidal plaster).

If the abrasion is small and located in a place that will inevitably get wet (for example, near the mouth), then it is better not to glue the plaster – leave the wound the opportunity to “breathe” on its own. With a wet dressing, the infection spreads twice as fast.

How to stop bleeding from deep scratches in a child?

For the most part, wounds and abrasions bleed most profusely for the first few minutes – this time is enough to wash off the microbes that have got inside. What concerns urgent measures to stop the blood – they are needed only in the case of severe continuous bleeding. So, to stop bleeding …

• Raise the injured arm (leg) up to stop the bleeding faster. Lay the child on his back and place 1-2 pillows under the bleeding limb.
• Rinse the wound. If the wound is contaminated, rinse from the inside.
• Wash the wound around the cut itself (water and soap, hydrogen peroxide, using a swab).
• Apply a few gauze “squares” to the wound, secure it tightly (not tightly) with a bandage / plasters.

For severe bleeding:

• Lift the injured limb.
• Use a clean bandage / gauze (handkerchief) to lay down a thick, square bandage.
• Apply a bandage to the wound and bandage tightly with a bandage (or other available material).
• If the dressing is soaked through, and it is still far from help, do not change the dressing, put a new one on top of the wet one and fix it.

• Press the wound over the bandage with your hand until help arrives.
• If you have experience using a tourniquet, apply a tourniquet. If not, study at such a moment is not worth it. And remember to loosen the tourniquet every half hour.

How to treat an abrasion and a scratch in a child – first aid for scratches and abrasions in children

• Antiseptics are used to prevent wound infection and to heal… Most often they use brilliant green (brilliant green solution) or iodine. Ethyl alcohol-based solutions can lead to tissue necrosis when penetrating into the depth of the wound. Therefore, it is customary to treat skin areas around wounds / abrasions and superficial minor microtraumas with alcohol solutions.
• It is not recommended to cover the wound with powdered medicines. Removing these drugs can further damage the wound.

• In the absence of hydrogen peroxide, use iodine or potassium permanganate (weak solution) – around wounds (not inside wounds!), and then bandage.

Remember that open abrasions heal several times faster. While walking, you can cover them with bandages, but at home it is better to remove the bandages. The exception is deep wounds.

When do you need to see a doctor for scratches and abrasions in a child?

The most dangerous are those wounds that children get while playing on the street. Contaminated wounds (with soil, caused by rusty objects, dirty glass, etc.) increase the risk of tetanus pathogen entering the body through an open damaged area of ​​the skin. Moreover, the depth of the wound does not matter in this situation. The bite of an animal is also dangerous – the animal may be infected with rabies. In such situations, it is not just timely, but an urgent visit to a doctor that matters. When is it necessary?

• If the child has not received a DPT vaccine.
• If the bleeding is profuse and does not stop.
• If the bleeding is bright red and pulsating is noticeable (there is a risk of damage to the artery).
• If the cut is in the area of ​​the wrist / hand (risk of damage to the tendons / nerves).
• If redness is present and does not subside, which spreads around the wound.
• If the wound becomes swollen, the temperature rises and pus is released from the wound.
• If the wound is so deep that you can “look” into it (any wound longer than 2 cm). In this case, suturing is required.
• If the tetanus shot was more than five years old and the wound cannot be rinsed.
• If the baby has stepped on a rusty nail or other dirty sharp object.

• If the wound is inflicted on the baby by an animal (even if it is a neighbor’s dog).
• If there is a foreign body in the wound that cannot be removed from it (glass shards, stone, wood / metal shavings, etc.). In this case, an x-ray is needed.
• If the wound does not heal for a long time, and the discharge from the wound does not stop.
• If the wound is accompanied by nausea or even vomiting in the child.
• If the edges of the wound diverge during movement (especially over the joints).
• If the wound is located in the mouth, in the very depth of the mouth, on the inside of the lip.

Remember that it is better to play it safe and show the baby to the doctor than to solve more serious problems later (the development of an infection in a wound occurs very quickly). And always stay calm. The more you panic, the more terrifying the baby is and the more the bleeding becomes. Remain calm and do not delay your visit to the doctor.

All information in this article is provided for educational purposes only, it may not correspond to the specific circumstances of your health, and is not a medical recommendation. The сolady.ru website reminds you that you should never delay or ignore your visit to a doctor!