First Aid Fact and Fiction

You have the best chance of avoiding infection if your wounds heal as quickly as possible. Make sure your first aid helps rather than makes a situation worse.

Fiction: Clean wounds with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.

Fact: According to the National Institutes of Health, wounds should be cleaned with only soap and water unless otherwise instructed by a doctor. Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol can damage tissue or delay healing in some cases.

Fiction: Ice a burn right away.

Fact: Minor burns should be cleaned with cool (not cold) running water for 10 to 15 minutes, then treated with an ointment such as petroleum jelly. Do not use cream, lotion, oil, cortisone, butter or eggs on burns. In addition, never use ice on a burn. According to the National Institutes of Health, applying ice directly to a minor burn can cause further tissue injury.

Fiction: Always use antibiotic cream on a cut or scrape.

Fact: Some antibiotic ointments can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction. Petroleum jelly and a bandage keep a small, uninfected cut clean and on its way to healing. Talk with your doctor before using an antibiotic ointment.

Fiction: Leave wounds uncovered to get oxygen, which is necessary for healing.

Fact: Wounds need oxygen to heal, but oxygen delivered via the bloodstream. Blood vessels regenerate faster when a bandage covers wounds. Bandages also help keep the area clean. Petroleum jelly can help burns and scrapes retain moisture and heal more quickly.

Fiction: A small cut or puncture wound doesn't need cleaning, especially if you cannot see any dirt or debris.

Fact: Small wounds can cause significant problems if they get infected. Any break in the skin is an avenue for bacteria. Clean every cut, even if it isn't visibly dirty.

A chronic wound is any cut that doesn't heal despite getting appropriate treatment. Doctors consider wounds non-healing if they don't improve after four weeks of treatment. Patients with diabetes are particularly at risk for non-healing injuries. As many as 15% of those with diabetes develop a chronic ulcer on one of their feet.

Whether from a puncture wound, surgical cut or a scrape, non-healing wounds are painful and can lead to severe complications if left untreated. A chronic injury also puts you at risk for infection. Of those with diabetes who have a foot ulcer, up to 24% will require amputation.

If your wound has not healed in four weeks, talk with your doctor. Specialized wound care can help close your open wound and prevent infection. If you have diabetes, well-controlled blood sugar can help prevent infection and improve wound healing.

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