How To Take Care Of Someone With Open Wound

Posted by diayanabill on October 15th, 2019

The aftercare routine of a wound depends on the type of wound. Proper and timely dressing and maintenance regime is key to speedy healing of wounds. Some of the most common type of dressings include gauze that can be purchased from a pharmacy. If you have someone to take care of with wounds, here what you can do:

  • Prevent Infection

Open wounds are susceptible to easy infection. Always wash your hands before assisting with a wound patient. Remove any rings from your hands, and scrub your hands with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds. Sterile gloves should be worn always. Good hand hygiene is essential for preventing infection of a wound. Signs of infection include redness and swelling around the wound, fever and increased pain.

  •  Clean the Wound

A saline solution is considered the best product for cleaning a patient's wound. Doctors will sometimes prescribe a special antibiotic treatment like Betadine in addition to saline. Never spray the solution directly on the wound, because this can tear the wound or wash away healing cells.

  •  Bathing a wounded patient

If the patient has sutures or exposed bones, the doctor will likely advise against getting the wound wet while bathing. A doctor might recommend shower shield water barrier to avoid any contact of water with the wounds.  If a patient is unable to stand up and shower on his own while keeping the wound area away from the stream of water, the wound area should be covered with these shields to keep it dry.

  •  Nutrition and wound care

Poor nutrition can dramatically affect the wound healing. Proper nutrition  includes plenty of protein and healthy diet as prescribed by doctor. It promotes a patient's body to generate new cells to heal a wound, and give strength to fight infection.

  •  Watch for pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers can develop in patients who are restricted to a wheelchair or bed while they are healing from a wound. Check whether the skin surfaces have any such development or not. If any ulcer is found assist the patient to regularly change their position. A doctor might also recommend light stretching exercises to help improve the patient's circulation. Use a good amount of moisturizers to keep the skin nourished and can help prevent pressure ulcers from forming.

Take professional assistance if needed.

Author Bio: The author is a blogger and the article is about wound care.

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diayanabill
Joined: April 5th, 2019
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