How to deal with children's abrasions and broken skin

Children often bump into things while playing. Especially when not accompanied by an adult, abrasions and skin breakages are more likely to occur. Generally speaking, children's abrasions and broken skin need to be treated promptly. If it is not very serious, parents can disinfect and bandage the wound to prevent bacterial infection. But if the condition is more serious, it is best to go to the hospital for treatment.

First aid measures for children's abrasions and broken skin

The most common external injury in children is abrasion, commonly known as "a little scrape of the skin", which means that the surface of the skin is scratched and there is a little bleeding. When the abrasion area is large, it will look like a large red area, but parents do not need to worry, because the actual amount of bleeding is very small, and it is mostly seen in the elbow and knee joints.

Home first aid measures: The most important treatment is to clean the wound surface, because embedded dirt may cause infection.

Step 1: Rinse the wound with clean water (such as medical saline, purified water, distilled water, mineral water) to remove dirt on the skin surface.

Step 2: You can use warm soapy water to clean the heavily contaminated skin around the wound.

Step 3: After rinsing, apply complex iodine on the wound surface. Allow the wound to heal naturally in the air.

Special note: If the wound is large or still exudates after treatment, it needs to be simply bandaged with sterile or medical gauze. Of course, most abrasions will scab over without treatment, which is the best natural way to heal. It is not recommended to use Band-Aids in this situation.

Stop bleeding

For obvious bleeding after abrasion, wash your hands and press the wound tightly with sterilized gauze for 5 to 15 minutes.

Cleaning the wound

After stopping the bleeding, rinse the wound with clean water or saline. If conditions do not allow, use running tap water to wash away dirt on the surface of the wound.

Disinfection and medication

After cleaning the wound, use a cotton swab dipped in iodine (or iodine cotton swab) to disinfect it, then apply a breathable Band-Aid to prevent the wound from contacting other dirt. If the wound is slightly red and swollen and you suspect it may be infected, you can apply some anti-inflammatory ointment on the wound.

You should go to an emergency department if any of the following occur:

1. Bleeding occurs in a jet-like manner or cannot be stopped by pressure;

2. The abrasion wound is deep or the fat and muscle are exposed at the wound;

3. Dirt on the wound cannot be removed;

4. The wound does not heal for a long time or becomes red, swollen and painful.

Common Misunderstandings in Treating Skin Abrasions

Disinfection with red and purple solution

Mercurochrome contains mercury ions, and people who are allergic to mercury may develop contact dermatitis; excessive use of mercurochrome may also lead to mercury poisoning and other problems. In addition, gentian violet has certain potential carcinogenicity, and it will also affect the healing of deeper wounds because the wounds scab over too quickly.

The medicines available for use after abrasion include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, and iodine tincture. However, considering the irritation, pigmentation and other issues, iodine tincture is the best choice for superficial abrasions.

Apply salt, flour, toothpaste, etc. to the wound

Many people are accustomed to applying some salt, flour, toothpaste or soy sauce to their children after they get their skin scratched, believing that it can reduce inflammation and relieve pain. But in fact, these things cannot stop bleeding or kill bacteria. Instead, they will irritate the wound, cause further contamination, affect wound healing, and even lead to infection.