When Should I Seek Medical Care for a Skin Laceration?

Injuries happen, usually at the worst times. While broken bones and other severe trauma require immediate medical attention, a simple cut or laceration can sometimes be managed at home. Still, it’s important to understand when you should seek expert care for a laceration, and how proper care can help prevent further problems.

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland in Midland, Michigan, our team specializes in treating any number of medical emergencies that may pop up in your life. Our physician assistants are seasoned urgent care experts, which means they treat minor to moderate skin lacerations and other non-life-threatening injuries with skill, efficiency, and care. 

What’s basic first aid for a skin laceration?

When you cut or scrape your skin, the first step is to stop what you’re doing and take care of the wound. No matter how big or small the laceration, thorough first aid is the best way to check out the laceration, clean it up, and reduce the risk of infection. 

To administer basic first aid to a skin laceration, you should:

• Apply firm pressure with a clean cloth
• Elevate the area to control bleeding
• Reinforce the cloth if blood is soaking through
• After bleeding subsides, gently rinse the wound with soap and water
• Rinse away any debris that’s on or near the wound 

Once the bleeding is controlled and you’ve cleansed the wound, wrap the area with a fresh dressing to keep the laceration covered and free of contamination.

When should I seek medical care for a skin laceration?

A laceration isn’t always a reason for concern, especially when it’s small. However, some lacerations are deceiving, so it’s important to understand the circumstances and factors that call for professional treatment. 

If you’re ever in doubt, getting care for a laceration is never a bad idea. Otherwise, the following situations are instances when you should seek immediate medical attention for a laceration, scrape, or cut:

• Blood squirting from the laceration
• Lacerations on your eye or face
• Cuts on any part of your genitals
• Lacerations caused by a rusty object
• Intense pain or localized numbness 
• Joint stiffness near the laceration

It’s also vital to seek treatment if the laceration was caused by a severe injury such as a bone fracture or head trauma. The same is true if the laceration is the product of a bite (human or animal). Bite-related lacerations can become infected easily, so prompt treatment is vital.

Large or deep lacerations may require stitches. Stitches keep the skin together to ensure that the cut heals properly and doesn’t break open or get infected as it heals. The amount of time stitches stay in depends on the treatment area and the severity of the laceration.

Which signs of infection should I watch for?

Even if your laceration doesn’t meet the criteria for expert medical care, it’s important to keep an eye on it as it heals. Specifically, you want to watch out for signs of infection, such as:

• Warmth and redness around the site
• Obvious swelling (inflammation) 
• Tenderness or worsening pain
• A red line streaking from the wound
• Continuing wound drainage and pus

If you also have a fever with the above signs, seek medical care right away. Left untreated, infected lacerations can lead to widespread infection, including life-threatening sepsis. 

Our team treats infected wounds with antibiotics. The method of injury and the severity of the infection determine the dosage and duration of an antibiotic treatment course.

If you have a skin laceration and need prompt medical care, don’t hesitate to call our office today at 989-756-0055. You can also schedule a same day visit any day of the week using our easy online booking feature.