Self-Care Pocket Guide • Injuries and Accidents
Cuts and Abrasions

Overview

The skin is our contact with our environment, so it's frequently subject to injuries including minor cuts and abrasions. Serious trauma to the skin can result in damage to nerves, blood vessels, tendons, bones, and organs which may require immediate medical attention. This advice pertains only to injuries that can be managed safely with self-care.

Signs and Symptoms

• Symptoms vary depending upon the nature, location, and severity of the injury. Minor cuts and abrasions usually heal within 2 weeks.

Self-Care Measures

• Clean your wound thoroughly with mild soap and lots of water, especially for ground-in dirt as is common with "road burns." Continue to clean it with soap and water 1 to 2 times a day—more often if necessary.
• OTC antiseptic solutions or antibacterial soaps are acceptable for cleaning the skin around the wound.
• Apply an OTC antibacterial ointment to your wound 1 to 2 times a day.
• Keep your wound covered with clean gauze or an adhesive bandage during waking hours. You can leave it uncovered while you sleep if it isn't oozing or painful.
• Don't soak your wound when bathing. Don't swim until it's healed. Brief contact with water from the shower is okay.

Red Flags

CALL THE UHS 24-HOUR NURSE ADVICE LINE 475-NURS (475-6877) IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS:

• A wound that penetrates beneath the visible surface of the skin (especially if it has been contaminated with dirt, rust, etc.), and you haven't had a tetanus shot in the last five years or don't remember when you got your last one.
• A gaping wound where the edges of your skin don't touch (or almost touch) at the wound site or where underlying fat, tendons, bones, etc. are visible.
• Numbness at the wound site or numbness in another part of your body (e.g., a cut near your elbow that results in numbness in your forearm or fingers).
• Bleeding that can't be stopped with direct pressure on the wound or any wound that spurts blood.
• Weakness or loss of function in the area of the wound (e.g., inability to extend your fingers after a cut on your hand or wrist).
• A wound on your face or other area where optimal healing is desired for cosmetic reasons.
• Signs of infection such as a fever of 100.5 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher; drainage; increased redness, swelling, or pain; or red streaks extending from the wound.