Wound Care

What is a Wound Care ?

Taking care of your wound properly can help to prevent pain, infection, and scarring. It can also help your wound to heal more quickly.

Wound Care, Adult

How to care for your wound

Wound care Instructions

• Follow instructions from your health care provider about how to take care of your wound. Make sure you:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you change the bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Change your dressing as told by your health care provider.
  • Leave stitches (sutures), skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to stay in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do notremove adhesive strips completely unless your health care provider tells you to do that.
• Check your wound area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
  • Redness, swelling, or pain.
  • Fluid or blood.
  • Warmth.
  • Pus or a bad smell.
• Ask your health care provider if you should clean the wound with mild soap and water. Doing this may include:
  • Using a clean towel to pat the wound dry after cleaning it. Do notrub or scrub the wound.
  • Applying a cream or ointment. Do this only as told by your health care provider.
  • Covering the incision with a clean dressing.
• Ask your health care provider when you can leave the wound uncovered.

Keep the dressing dry until your health care provider says it can be removed. Do nottake baths, swim, use a hot tub, or do anything that would put the wound underwater until your health care provider approves. Ask your health care provider if you can take showers. You may only be allowed to take sponge baths.

Medicines

• If you were prescribed an antibiotic medicine, cream, or ointment, take or use the antibiotic as told by your health care provider. Do notstop taking or using the antibiotic even if your condition improves.

Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider. If you were prescribed pain medicine, take it 30 or more minutes before you do any wound care or as told by your health care provider.

General instructions

• Return to your normal activities as told by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider what activities are safe.
• Do notscratch or pick at the wound.
• Do notuse any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. These may delay wound healing. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
• Eat a diet that includes protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrient-rich foods to help the wound heal.
  • Foods rich in protein include meat, dairy, beans, nuts, and other sources.
  • Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots and dark green, leafy vegetables.
  • Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.
  • Nutrient-rich foods have protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, or minerals. Eat a variety of healthy foods including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You received a tetanus shot and you have swelling, severe pain, redness, or bleeding at the injection site.
• Your pain is not controlled with medicine.
• You have redness, swelling, or pain around the wound.
• You have fluid or blood coming from the wound.
• Your wound feels warm to the touch.
• You have pus or a bad smell coming from the wound.
• You have a fever or chills.
• You are nauseous or you vomit.
• You are dizzy.

Get help right away if:

• You have a red streak going away from your wound.
• The edges of the wound open up and separate.
• Your wound is bleeding, and the bleeding does not stop with gentle pressure.
• You have a rash.
• You faint.
• You have trouble breathing.

Summary

• Always wash your hands with soap and water before changing your bandage (dressing).
• To help with healing, eat foods that are rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
• Check your wound every day for signs of infection. Contact your health care provider if you suspect that your wound is infected.

Wound Care, Pediatric

Taking care of your child’s wound properly can help to prevent pain, infection, and scarring. It can also help your child’s wound heal more quickly.

How to care for your child’s wound

Wound care

• Follow instructions from your child’s health care provider about how to take care of your child’s wound. Make sure you:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you change the bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Change the dressing as told by your child’s health care provider.
  • Leave stitches (sutures), skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to stay in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do notremove adhesive strips completely unless your child’s health care provider tells you to do that.
• Check your child’s wound area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
  • Redness, swelling, or pain.
  • Fluid or blood.
  • Warmth.
  • Pus or a bad smell.
• Ask your child’s health care provider if you should clean the wound with mild soap and water. Doing this may include:
  • Using a clean towel to pat the wound dry after cleaning it. Do notrub or scrub the wound.
  • Applying a cream or ointment. Do this only as told by your child’s health care provider.
  • Covering the incision with a clean dressing.
• Ask your child’s health care provider when you can leave the wound uncovered.

Keep the dressing dry until your child’s health care provider says it can be removed. Do notlet your child take baths, swim, use a hot tub, or do anything that would put the wound underwater until your child’s health care provider approves. Ask your child’s health care provider if your child can take showers. Your child may only be allowed to take sponge baths.

Medicines

• If your child was prescribed an antibiotic medicine, cream, or ointment, give or use the antibiotic as told by your child’s health care provider. Do notstop giving or using the antibiotic even if your child’s condition improves.

Give over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your child’s health care provider. If your child was prescribed pain medicine, give it 30 or more minutes before you do any wound care or as told by your child’s health care provider.

General instructions

• Have your child return to his or her normal activities as told by your child’s health care provider. Ask what activities are safe for your child.
• Encourage your child not to scratch or pick at the wound.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your child’s health care provider.
• Encourage your child to eat a diet that includes protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrient-rich foods to help the wound heal.
  • Foods rich in protein include meat, dairy, beans, nuts, and other sources.
  • Foods rich in Vitamin A include carrots and dark green, leafy vegetables.
  • Foods rich in Vitamin C include citrus, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.
  • Nutrient-rich foods have protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, or minerals. Have your child eat a variety of healthy foods including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your child is scratching or picking at the wound area.
• Your child is restless or removes dressings at night while sleeping.
• Your child received a tetanus shot, and he or she has swelling, severe pain, redness, or bleeding at the injection site.
• Your child’s pain is not controlled with medicine.
• Your child has redness, swelling, or pain around the wound.
• Your child has fluid or blood coming from the wound.
• Your child’s wound feels warm to the touch.
• Your child has pus or a bad smell coming from the wound
• Your child has a fever or chills.
• Your child is nauseous, or she or he vomits.
• Your child is dizzy.

Get help right away if:

• Your child has a red streak going away from the wound.
• The edges of the wound open up and separate.
• Your child’s wound is bleeding, and the bleeding does not stop with gentle pressure.
• Your child has a rash.
• Your child faints.
• Your child has trouble breathing.
• Your child who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.

Summary

• Always wash your hands with soap and water before changing your child’s bandage (dressing).
• To help with healing, offer your child foods rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
• Check your child’s wound every day for signs of infection. Contact your health care provider if you suspect that your child’s wound is infected.