How to Dress a Bedsore

How Should We Dress a Wound?

An injury to the surface of the skin creates an open wound that exposes the underlying parts of the skin and causes bleeding. These types of wounds, whatever their extent, quickly become infected, and germs can rapidly enter the deeper layers of the skin, spread, and also enter the lymph nodes and spread from this route throughout the body. Therefore, properly disinfect and cover the entire wound .

Covering the wound properly helps control bleeding, prevent contamination, and absorb blood and wound secretions, and it causes the wound to heal quickly. Did you know that open wounds have different types and that identifying their type is very effective in providing proper first aid? Stay with Arsineh.

Types of Open Wounds

Scratch or abrasion: This wound is caused by the top layer of the skin being scraped away. Because most of the nerves in this layer are damaged, the wound is painful, but the bleeding is not significant. An abrasion, if it is extensive or if particles of dirt or foreign objects are embedded in it, can be serious and dangerous.

Measures: If a foreign object has superficially penetrated the skin, gently wash it with soap and water, disinfect the wound with betadine, and dress it.

Cut: A wound with smooth edges, similar to a surgical incision or a cut with the edge of paper. This wound burns a lot, and the severity of bleeding in this type of wound varies depending on the depth of the cut and the location and size of the wound.

Tear: A deep wound with uneven edges, caused by sharp objects such as glass. In this injury, the tissues beneath the skin are damaged and the likelihood of severe bleeding is high.

Measures: In cuts and tears, the priority is controlling the bleeding by means of direct pressure. Bring the edges of the wound together. Immobilize the limb and place it slightly above the level of the heart so that its pain and bleeding are reduced. If a foreign object remains in the wound, do not remove it. Disinfect and dress the wound and take the injured person to the nearest medical center.

Avulsion: A wound in which a part of the skin or muscle is separated from the body or hangs off it.

Measures: Clean the wound surface and stop the bleeding. If a part of the skin or muscle is hanging, place it back in its original position, cover it, and take the injured person to a medical center immediately.

Puncture: A deep wound caused by the penetration of a pointed object. This injury does not always cause severe bleeding, but in punctures of the abdomen and chest, the likelihood of severe bleeding and death is high.

Measures: First, allow the bleeding to flow for a few moments so that the germs inside the wound are expelled along with the blood. Disinfect the wound site, and if a foreign object is embedded in it, do not remove it, because removing the object adds to the severity of the bleeding. Therefore, immobilize the object with a dressing and transfer the injured person to the hospital.

Amputation: This injury is the most severe type of bleeding wounds and often happens because of a contaminated industrial cutting object.

Measures: Stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure and keeping the limb elevated. To care for the severed limb, wrap it in a sterile gauze or a clean cloth, then place it inside a plastic bag and tie its opening tightly. Then place the bag containing the severed limb inside a bag of ice. Transfer the bag carrying the limb and the injured person to the hospital.

The Correct Method for Dressing an Open Wound

1 – For better control of the bleeding, bring the edges of the wound together and control the bleeding by pressing with a sterile gauze or a clean cloth.

2 – Once the bleeding is controlled, clean around the wound from the inside outward with cotton soaked in a disinfectant solution. The opposite of this, and the back-and-forth movement of the cotton over the wound, causes the contamination around the wound to penetrate into it and infect the wound.

3 – After the wound is completely sterile, place a piece of sterile gauze over the wound so that it fully covers the wound and around it. Place the dressing exactly on the wound and never shift it. If the dressing shifts, replace it. Movement of the dressing can direct the germs on the skin surface toward the wound.

4 – If blood soaks through the dressing, never remove the covering over the wound. To stop the bleeding, place more gauze or cloth over the previous wound covering.

5 – Secure the sterile gauze on the 4 sides with tape to the skin, and then bandage it.

Tips About Wound Dressing

– Betadine, by the name of (povidone-iodine), is a strong germicidal solution and can destroy all types of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. The very important point is that this solution has no effect until it dries on the skin.

– Avoid the penetration of betadine into an open wound, because due to containing iodine salts it may cause sensitivity in people.

– Do not use cotton to cover the wound, because most cottons are non-sterile.

– Do not use antibiotic ointment without a doctor’s opinion, because the ointment prevents the tissue around the wound from clotting and delays the repair.

– In case the wound is deep, the bleeding is severe, and the two edges of the wound do not come together, go to the hospital to have it stitched.

– Change the dressing every day, and sooner if it becomes wet or dirty.

– Avoid picking off the wound scab, because it disrupts the repair and increases the risk of infection.

– If a disinfectant solution is not available, use soap and water to clean the wound.

Honey is a suitable substance for healing and dressing wounds

Using honey in dressing wounds eliminates the bad odor of the wound, and when changing the dressing it does not stick to the wound and creates less pain for patients. Also, pouring honey on a wound that is bleeding causes the bleeding to stop quickly.

Thus, honey is considered a suitable substance for caring for and dressing wounds.

Based on research that was conducted in the country of New Zealand, honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties and is useful for treating skin wounds, diabetic wounds, burns, pimples, acne, pressure sores, skin cracks, eczema, gastrointestinal ulcers, and ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Honey can also be used to treat sore throat and colds and for rinsing the mouth and throat.

For a wound to heal as quickly as possible, a moist environment is needed, and since in a moist environment bacteria are more active, honey can also provide a moist, germ-free environment for the complication-free repair of the wound.

Because it contains hydrogen peroxide, honey has an antibacterial property and causes the wound to be cleaned of germs. Because it destroys bacteria quickly, honey prevents the production of ammonia in the wound, and no bad odor is emitted from the wound. Also, when changing the dressing, because honey has created a moist environment, the dressing does not stick to the wound and creates less pain for patients.

Honey causes wounds to heal without a scar or excess tissue being formed. It also lessens the need for surgery (grafting). As a result, honey is considered a suitable care substance in healing and dressing wounds