10 Simple Household Tips for Nursing Wounds
It goes without saying that accidents occur on a pretty regular basis for most people. Whether it is a severe collision during a sporting event, a clumsy stumble down the stairs, or the kids are getting a little too rowdy in the backyard. Even though the vast majority of the time serious injuries can be avoided, here are a few characteristics to keep in mind when dressing those wounds that are unavoidable.
1) Free of particles and toxins
The first step is to carefully make sure that the wound has been cleaned, or at least rinsed with water to ensure that the open wound is free of particles and toxins that may cause infections and prevent proper healing.
2) Non-Allergenic Ointments
When properly applying medical ointments you have to be sure to read the directions and ingredients of the products that you are using. Some patients may be allergic to those ointments that have additional ingredients you might not be aware of.
3) Wound Protection
You want to ensure that the bandages and plasters are going to be sufficient enough to protect the wound in case the patient is involved in an activity that may expose or potentially re-open the wound.
4) Protection Removal
When applying protection, make sure that it can be removed with ease so that the wound or the area around the wound is not negatively affected. The last thing the patient wants to experience is more pain due to improper application of bandages.
5) Resistant to Bacteria
After the protection has been applied, or when decided what type of initial protection to use, make sure that the wound is dressed so that it is impermeable to bacteria. Bacteria is obviously going to increase the severity of the wound and potentially lead to more serious medical issues.
6) Thermally Insulating
The common mistake that many believe is that a wound needs to “breathe.” However, recent studies have shown that an open wound should be covered and insulated to promote cell life. Here is an article by the New York Times that explains the importance of insulating, as well as, allergic reactions to ointment.
7) Comfortable and Conformable
One of the last things to take into account when dressing a wound is to make sure that whatever you use is going to be comfortable for the patient and will reduce the restriction on their range of motion as much as possible. Comfort is key.
8) Doesn’t need frequent changes
Surprisingly, the more often you have to change the dressing on a wound, the dryer the wound will become. A dry environment promotes cell death and it will then take longer for the wound to heal if the bandages are changed too frequently. See the article listed in #6 for further explanation.
9) Reasonably Priced
Bandages and plasters don’t have to break your bank. Sometimes simple Bandaids from the local grocery store or pharmacy are the best options for dressing.
10) Reasonable Number of Materials
Depending on the size, severity, and location of the wound, will determine the number of materials that are needed to properly dress the affected area. Whatever the case may be, after you’re done try to properly save your materials for potential future injuries to ensure quick accessibility and consideration to the environment.
As children, we all used to run and play, while acquiring bumps and scratches along the way. Most of us probably got right back up and kept on going along with our day like usual. Little did we know that avoiding the opportunity to properly address the wound can potentially lead to infection and possibly even more severe scarring. The real first step when addressing the situation of a wound is to check and see if there is someone nearby who is qualified to assist, such as a doctor or someone who is qualified in nursing.
