Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Splint Different Finger Injuries
- Steps to overcome open wounds on the finger
- 1. Stop bleeding
- 2. Clean the wound
- 3. Apply antibiotic ointment
- 4. Put on a bandage
- Then, when should I go to the doctor?
Medical Video: How to Splint Different Finger Injuries
Wounds can come from anywhere, including during activities such as cooking. When cooking, a person often experiences finger wounds due to slicing a knife. Don't panic, you can do the following methods as first aid when your finger has an open wound either because it's cut or because of something else.
Steps to overcome open wounds on the finger
The following are the steps you need to follow when having a finger wound, namely:
1. Stop bleeding
When injured, either cut, sliced, or punctured in your finger will definitely bleed. This bleeding can be mild because the blood that comes out is small or heavy because there is a lot of blood coming out until it spurts out. Whatever type of bleeding you need to do is stop it.
If the bleeding is mild, you can take the tissue and press the injured part for a few minutes to stop it. However, the bleeding is heavy enough to take clean gauze or a towel and press the injured part until the blood stops flowing completely.
2. Clean the wound
Then, the next step you need to do to deal with wounds on the finger is to clean the wound. Wash the injured finger under running water. You can also wash the wound with warm water if possible. Then, clean the wound with soap so that the dirt on the finger is completely gone. Rinse thoroughly and there are no more remnants of soap on the finger that can irritate the wound.
Quoted from WebMD, do not use products made from hydrogen peroxide and iodine because it can irritate and damage tissue in the wound.
3. Apply antibiotic ointment
The next step you need to do is apply an antibiotic ointment to reduce the risk of infection. Actually, applying antibiotic ointment is a treatment that is not mandatory for minor injuries. However, if the wound is deep enough with heavy bleeding then applying it is a wise choice.
Antibiotic ointment does not make your wound heal faster. But it will be very useful to prevent infections that can increase the severity of the wound. When applying an antibiotic cream, do not immediately put it on the wound directly from the container. You need to take it with your fingers and rub it so that the content of the ointment is not contaminated.
4. Put on a bandage
If the wound you have is deep and large, it doesn't hurt to use a bandage. Especially if at that time you have to go out of the house to allow the wound to be exposed to dirt from the outside. When using bandages or tape, do not touch the inside of the bandage or tape with your hands. It is feared that it can transfer dirt in the hands to the bandages that will be used to cover the wound.
When using tape, for example, remove one side of the protective cover and attach it to the finger. After glue on one side then release the other side. That way, the tape remains clean.
Then, when should I go to the doctor?
Even though your injuries seem trivial, you need to go to the doctor immediately when you feel things like:
- The wound is very deep and wide open.
- The wound is too dirty or there is dirt in the wound that you cannot clean yourself.
- Wounds show signs of infection such as redness, pain when touched, and suppuration.
- The area around the wound feels numb.
- Wounds in the form of punctures are deep enough and have never passed tetanus injections in the last 10 years.
Do not underestimate the injuries you have as light as any condition. Because, open wounds on the skin can be the entrance for bacteria that can cause infection to dangerous infectious diseases.
