Home Care

Scrapes and abrasions often do not require any more care than washing the area 4 times daily for the first 48 hours and keeping the area covered with a sterile bandage. Deeper wounds and bites will require medical attention.

• Stop the bleeding: If bleeding will not stop, apply a clean bandage to the area and press down on it for 10 minutes.
  
  
• Clean the wound: Water under pressure is the best way to clean a wound. Either a briskly running faucet or a hand-held shower nozzle is the best way to wash a wound. The wound should be washed for 10-15 minutes. Make sure you remove all dirt and debris. Do not scrub deep wounds or bites, just wash them out.
  
  
• Check when you last had a tetanus shot.