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If I Cut Myself

If I Cut Myself

If I Cut Myself accidentally should I let some of the blood come out first before dressing it?

Myself Cut If

I have heard that allowing a cut to bleed for just a bit helps keep out bacteria but I have found little to no medical evidence to back that up. Most doctors suggest cleaning out the wound really well, then dressing it with an antibiotic. This makes sure it is clean and that it won't get infected, no need to allow it to bleed in todays world. That may have been the most effective means before neosporin and band-aids were invented, but not any more.

If I Cut Myself Health & Special Psychology

While I agree completely, I think that konquererz' advice really only applies to accidents at home (or office). There are many times where it really isn't possible to perform the "preferred" actions.

For example, if a person is out camping, it may not be really possible to clean out the wound as well as if he were at home. This is especially true when hunting or fishing. Of course, a well-prepared camper would have a good first aid kit with antibiotic lotion. However, I suspect that there are a lot of people out there who aren't really well prepared.

If it isn't really possible to thoroughly clean out the wound, and it isn't "gushing" blood, then I would think it would be a good idea to let it bleed for just a little bit to push contaminants out.

Of course, this discussion only applies to very minor wounds. And, if it is not possible to get even a minor wound well cleaned, then a person MUST get to a doctor or emergency room soon, to ensure that the wound really is very clean. Otherwise, it is entirely possible to develop a very severe infection.