Lacerations, Wounds, or Bleeding

Cuts are something almost everyone has experienced at some point of their life. Cuts are open wounds through the skin. A fair amount of people cut themselves accidentally while at work or at home. Children often experience cuts from falling when playing or falling off a bicycle. Most cuts are something that can be treated at home, but occasionally a cut does warrant a visit to the Emergency Room.

There are many different types of objects that can cut you, including blunt objects which often times cause lots of swelling and tissue damage. Sharp-Edged pointed objects can press into and slice your skin. Sharp object injuries are known to cut deeper. Often times people get cut with a combination of blunt and sharp objects. This would crush, tear and slice the skin tissue.

Often times, some cuts are more serious and might need medical treatment. These cuts include

  • Long and deep cuts
  • Cuts over a joint, which will open with movement
  • Some cuts scar and if that is on a place like a lip, it may interfere with function
  • If you have an avulsion which is slicing off all the layers of skin
  • If you get bit by an animal or human, an infection is much more likely
  • Cuts that damage tissue. These often happen when you have cuts on your hands or feet
  • A cut over a broken bone is likely to get infected
  • Cuts that happen due to a crushing injury. Most of the time skin splits open due to the injury, the force of that could crush blood vessel
  • Cuts due to glass or wood that have glass or wood in the wound

When you have a cut, the first thing you want to do is stop the bleeding. Once you have stopped the bleeding it is appropriate to attempt to clean the wound. In order to stop the bleeding, you will want to put something between you and the wound and then apply pressure.

Once you maintain pressure with the wound, you want to elevate the injured area. Applying steady and direct pressure for 15 minutes is something that will help stop the bleeding. Do not check to see if the bleeding has stopped until you have held pressure for a full 15 minutes.