Everyday, we are exposed to things that can cause us injury. It’s just a matter of time before we, or someone we know, suffers a laceration of some kind. When that time comes, knowing what to do can make a significant difference in the patient’s tolerance and perception of the injury. Having some basic skills can also greatly benefit the final outcome of the injury. Here are some important tips for the initial treatment and handling of minor lacerations.

Whether cut by an object, or simply falling on the ground, the first order of business is to control bleeding. A little bleeding isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it can help to push out dirt and bacteria. If the bleeding is pulse-like or streaming, in other words spurting out of the wound, then the wound is deep and immediate control of the loss of blood is important. A little bleeding isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it pushes out bacteria and foreign bodies that can cause an infection.

You can try your best to remove debris from the wound. Be careful if it’s a glass cut! Then apply direct pressure with a stack of gauze or a clean cloth. Continue this pressure until the bleeding has stopped. The cloth or gauze, may get soaked with blood. If this happens, simply place more cloth or gauze on top of the first one. You can treat just about any type of cut this way, anywhere on the body.

Be sure to not remove the initial dressing to see if the bleeding has stopped. This is because, the bloods platelets are like little corks that form a small clot to stop bleeding. The platelets have to have a backstop so they can clump together and form the clot. Otherwise they’ll simply fall out of the wound and spill onto the ground. If and when the dressing gets soaked with blood, simply place some more dressing on top of the original one to assist in soaking up the blood. If bleeding is not controlled after 15 minutes, start heading to the ER.

After bleeding has stopped, you can look at the wound and decide whether you need to go to the ER for stiches. You have about 6-8 hours to get it stitched up, if you need it. How can you tell whether it needs stitches? In short, if the wound wants to stay open, or pop open with simple movement, it needs stitches!