How To Clean And Dress A Wound

Depending on the severity of the wound the patient might need to seek medical advice or be taken to hospital. However, if the wound is minor these 5 easy steps can be followed on how to clean and dress a wound:

1. Sanitize Your Hands

2. Assess the Wound

3. Clean the Wound

4. Dress the Wound

5. Medical Assistance

1. Sanitize Your Hands

If personal protective equipment (PPE) is not available you should thoroughly sanitize yourself, most importantly your hands as you do not want to further contaminate the wound. You should wash your hands with soap and dry them off thoroughly before putting on disposable gloves.

2. Assess the Wound 

The amount of blood coming from the wound will indicate the severity of the situation, and depending on how much blood will determine how easy and quickly the wound will be to clean and dress. If there is a lot of blood, you should wear PPE, such as gloves and a mask. PPE should be worn if possible and accessible as blood can carry contaminants and infections which could be passed on to you, so ensure to wear PPE if needed.

3. Clean the Wound

The first step is to run water over the wound for 5-10 minutes to ensure any loose particles or dirt or debris is washed away. If there is an object or dirt embedded into the wound do not try to remove it, please seek medical help if this is the case. Secondly use gauze or a cloth soaked in saline solution from a first aid kit to clean around the wound itself and the skin around it. If there is no gauze or cloth available an alcohol-free wipe can be used.

4. Dress the Wound

Once the wound and skin has been cleaned pat the area dry with a clean towel. Next is to dress the wound, and there are many different types of wound dressings you could use from your first aid kit, such as: adhesive and non-adhesive, ambulance, or absorbant dressing. The dressing must be sterile and preferably waterproof.

5. Medical Assistance

Once the wound is cleaned and dressed, you must check to see if the wound is still bleeding. If blood is coming through and soaking the dressing then medical assistance should be sought after. You should also seek medical advice if the wound is deep, has an object embedded into the wound, has dirt inside it, has pus coming out, or if the wound was inflicted by a bite. Find your local hospital to seek urgent care.

For more information about how to clean and dress a wound and the right equipment to do so, visit our MorSafe shop, or contact us at 01686 611 377 or sales@morsafesupplies.com.