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Urgent Care For Infected Cut

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When You Need To See A Healthcare Provider

Wound Infection | NCLEX RN Review

Whether you should see a healthcare provider about a cut or another skin injury depends on its shape, severity, location and risk of infection, and whether medical care could lessen scarring or improve healing. You should see a healthcare provider immediately if any of the following are factors with your wound:

  • The shape of the wound is jagged.
  • The injury is located on your face.
  • The edges of the wound are gaping open.
  • The injured area contains embedded dirt.
  • Blood is spurting out or the bleeding won’t stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure.
  • It’s been five years or more since you’ve had a tetanus shot.

After examining the wound, your healthcare provider may clean it and prescribe oral antibiotics. They will also determine whether or not you need stitches to help the wound heal faster and leave less of a visible scar.

Stitches on the face are usually removed after three days. In high-stress parts of the body, like elbows, stitches can stay in for up to 14 days. Alternatives to stitches include adhesive tape, staples, or liquid skin adhesives that work like glue. Liquid adhesives don’t need to be removed.

If you didn’t receive a three-shot series for tetanus, also known as lockjaw, as a childor if you haven’t had a booster shot within the past 10 yearsnow’s the time to get caught up, either with that three-shot series or the booster.

For maximum effectiveness, tetanus shots should be given within one to three days of an injury.

Stitches And Stitches Removal

Depending on the size of your wound, you may need stitches to protect against bacteria. If you get stitches at our Fort Worth, TX urgent care center, you will have to come back to have them removed. We dont recommend patients remove them on their own since it can lead to an infection if done improperly.

When To Go To Urgent Care For Cuts

When to go to Urgent Care for Cuts

While some cuts can be treated at home, others require more advanced treatments. Treating a cut at home involves cleaning it and then applying a bandage to prevent infection. Its important that any dirt, debris or harmful particles are cleaned out of a cut before it is closed up so that you dont risk developing an infection. However, larger or deeper cuts will likely need stitches in these cases, seeing a doctor as soon as possible is important in order to ensure quick healing and avoid permanent scarring. While most minor cuts do not need stitches, they do need proper care in order to keep them from becoming infected.

If you have a deep or puncture wound, apply pressure with a clean cloth. Cleanse your wound thoroughly and apply pressure bandages. Elevate your extremity if possible. Seek medical attention if bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure. When to Go: If you think you might have an infection, go immediately! Signs of infection include pain, swelling and redness around your wound increased tenderness warmth near your wound pus drainage from your cut fever over 101 degrees F.

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How To Tell If A Cut Requires Medical Attention

If youre worried about the size, shape, location or depth of a cut, it may be a good idea to visit a local urgent care for further evaluation and treatment. Although most cuts can be cared for at home without complications, there are specific times when you should seek medical attention.

Visit Emerald Coast Urgent Care for a cut when

  • You believe you need stitches to close a wound and stop the bleeding properly
  • You have experienced a minor animal bite
  • You have mild to moderate facial wounds
  • Your wound is serious but not life-threatening
  • Your mild to moderate cut has signs of infection

Cuts And Wounds From Rusty Objects

Open Wound Complications: Heres What You Might Expect

Make sure that cuts and punctures from rusty objects, like nails, fishhooks, and angle irons, get a doctors attention. Your doctor will see that youre up to date on your tetanus shot or if a new one is needed. If you havent had a tetanus shot in the last 5 years then you should get a booster anytime you get a cut that may have dirt in it.

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Timely Care For Cuts At Emerald Coast Urgent Care

If youve experienced a cut that requires immediate attention, visit Emerald Coast Urgent Care today so that we may examine your injury and provide the treatment you need sooner.

We are open seven days a week for all of your needs. No appointment is required simply walk in to get the wound care you need now.

Ouch Does This Wound Need Emergency Care

Minor scrapes and cuts usually dont require urgent care unless the wound gets infected or is exceptionally slow to heal. With more serious cuts, how can you tell when you need medical help or stitches? Heres a guide on how to tell the difference between a cut you can treat at home and a gash that requires medical attention.

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When Do I Need Stitches

If you think you may need treatment, see a doctor or visit an urgent care clinic within six to eight hours after the injury occurs. It can be difficult to know for sure whether you need stitches. You probably need stitches if any of the following are true:

  • The cut is deep, has ragged edges or is longer than 1/2 inch.
  • You can see bone, muscle or yellow fatty tissue inside the cut.
  • The cut is on your face, finger, hand or genital area.
  • The injury is still bleeding profusely after 10 minutes, is spurting blood or soaks through bandages.
  • The wound wont close easily, or its located over a joint.
  • The cut contains embedded glass, sand, gravel, dirt or a foreign object.

When To Go To Urgent Care For Stitches

Open Wounds The Urgency Room an educational care video
  • Posted On: Apr 27, 2021

Accidents happen, and an injurysuch as a cut, scratch, laceration, or woundresulting from it is not uncommon. But how do you determine whether you need medical attention, and more importantly, what kind of medical attention do you need? When is it necessary to go to urgent care? How serious does your wound need to be to go to the ER? Sometimes its easy to believe a cut isnt a big deal, and as long as it stops bleeding, you might think you can let it heal on its own, but there are ways to determine the level of care you need to understand its severity.

Because cuts or lacerations penetrate the skin, usually by a sharp object, it quicklyintroduces bacteriainto your system. This means treatment needs to be administered as soon as possible before it turns into an infection with severe consequences. Most urgent care centers are a great place to receive medical care because of their convenient treatment options, accessibility, cost-effectiveness and availability in most areas. Urgent care providers also offer the ability to prescribe medications if needed and recommend a higher level of care if they deem it necessary.

But ultimately, how do you determine urgent care is the right place for your skin injury? There are a few key elements that can help you determine that kind of wound care and if it includes non-emergent medical treatment:

1. Deep cut on hands, fingers or face

2. There is excessive bleeding and/or it wont stop

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Infected Cut Risk Factors

Any wound can become infected if left untreated. If you dont clean your injury within the first 8 hours, your risk of infected increases significantly.

A wound is likely to become infected if its located on your hand, leg, armpit, or groin. It may become infected if the cut is deep, heals slowly, or is exposed to dirt or saliva. Animal bites and injuries resulting from construction tools are most likely to become infected.

People suffering from poor blood circulation, diabetes, malnutrition, alcoholism, or who have an overall weak immune system are more likely to develop infected cuts.

If your cut is infected, the infection spreads to your skins deep tissues, called the cellulitis. Once there, the infection can reach your bloodstream, allowing harmful bacteria to infect your entire body. If this happens, youll start to feel sick all over.

Diagnosing And Treating Abscesses

Diagnosing an abscess typically involves little more than a visual examination. In most cases, abscesses can be successfully treated by draining via incision. The abscess is cut open, drained of bacterial fluid and cleaned/bandaged. While the infection may continue to drain for several days, it should clear up within a week.

Since bacteria from a drained abscess can spread to adjacent areasincluding the bloodstreamantibiotics may be prescribed.

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What Are Possible Complications

If an infected cut is not treated promptly, the infection will begin to spread into the deeper tissues under the skin. This is called cellulitis. The infection can travel through your blood to other parts of your body. Once the infection spreads, you will begin to feel generally unwell and develop a fever.

Cellulitis can develop into a severe infection called . Its also possible that an infected cut will never heal properly. It can lead to skin infections such as impetigo, and it can also become an abscess.

In extremely rare cases, an untreated infected cut can develop into necrotising fasciitis. This is more commonly known as the flesh-eating disease. It leaves large areas of the skin damaged and painful.

Proper Wound Care In Rochester Ny

Laminated Cut/Wound Care Safety Poster

Its easy to make mistakes with proper wound care without first aid or medical training. If you have a moderate-sized cut or scrape, the medical professionals at Cornerstone Urgent Care Clinic can help. You can simply walk in to our urgent care clinic and receive immediate treatment for your wound.

Our urgent care walk-in clinic is staffed with physicians and medical providers that can treat a wide variety of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. To find out more about our services, call Cornerstone Urgent Care Clinic at 207-0088 or let us know youre coming by checking in online.

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What Are Some Basic Wound Care Tips

Ever wondered how to treat a wound? First aid depends on how deep the wound is. Minor cuts and wounds require little treatment other than proper cleaning, disinfection, and bandaging. Deeper wounds may need additional treatment. In either case, make sure you remove any loose jewelry before the area swells.

Thoroughly cleaning the wound prevents infection. Do not use hydrogen peroxide or strong solutions that may irritate the wound. Wash hands well, then gently cleanse the wound with gentle soap under room-temperature, running water. Pat the wound dry carefully and apply an antibiotic cream or spray to the wound, followed by a clean bandage.

As the wound heals, the area should be cleaned and bandages should be replaced on a regular basis. If the wound shows signs of infection, visit your nearest FastMed as soon as possible for treatment. Look for expanding redness or red streaking from the wound, yellow or green pus, cloudy wound drainage, and increased tenderness or pain. If a fever develops, this can also be a sign of infection.

For proper healing, deeper wounds require medical attention and possibly stitches. If a wound cant be held together with a bandage, continues to bleed after 20 minutes of direct pressure, or becomes infected, seek treatment at your local FastMed, and always remove any loose jewelry, especially rings, before the area swells.

What To Do: Seeking Medical Care For A Cut

If you do seek medical care for your cut, here are some important reminders to help ensure proper healing:

  • Do not remove any object, such as a nail, that is stuck in the wound.
  • Clean the wound, if possible, with some water and diluted liquid soap. Contrary to popular thought, hydrogen peroxide is not good for cleaning wounds, since it can damage the tissue.
  • Apply pressure to the cut and try to elevate it. This will help slow the bleeding.

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How To Care For A Minor To Moderate Cut

If your cut is minor to moderate and can be effectively treated at home, you want to ensure that you properly clean and care for it immediately following your accident.

Follow these steps to care for your cut:

  • Apply even pressure to the affected area for up to 10 minutes to slow and stop bleeding using a clean cloth or bandage.
  • Clean the wound with soap and water.
  • Apply an antibiotic ointment.
  • Cover the wound with a bandage.
  • Clean, reapply antibiotic ointment and apply a new bandage daily until your cut begins to heal properly.
  • Once your wound is covered and cared for, it is important to watch for signs of infection that may include warmth, swelling, redness or drainage. If you believe your wound is an infection, visit an urgent care for further evaluation.

    When To Seek Emergency Care For A Cut

    First Aid : How to Treat an Infected Wound During First Aid

    Some cuts are too large and deep to be appropriately treated at an urgent care facility. If you experience a severe wound, you should head to an emergency room for immediate medical treatment.

    It is recommended to seek emergency treatment for a cut when

    • The bleeding wont stop, or blood is spurting out
    • The laceration is deeper than one-quarter inch
    • The cut is made by a rusted object
    • Muscle, fat, or bone is exposed
    • The cut is located over a joint that causes it to open every time you move
    • The injury is through a major artery or vein
    • There is an object embedded into the wound
    • You have sustained an amputation

    For immediate care for a deep cut, call 9-1-1 now.

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    Why People Choose Urgent Care Services

    Wondering why people choose to go to an urgent care center for treatment? When someone is in need of urgent care services and they are not able to get in to see their primary care physician for treatment, then they can visit an urgent care center and expect to get treated the very same day. In fact, patients who walk into an urgent care center can also expect to be treated within 30 to 60 minutes of their arrival. This makes an urgent care center an extremely convenient option for those who are in need of immediate medical care to address their current health-related problem.

    Is The Cut Serious

    Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out if a cut needs stitches or other medical treatment.

    To help you decide if a cut may need a medical evaluation, here are some signs and symptoms to look for:

    • The wound is deep enough to expose the dermis .
    • The wound is too large to easily press the edges together, which could be the result of a laceration or puncture.
    • Its from a bite .
    • The cut is contaminated or was caused by a rusty object.

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    When A Cut Needs Emergency Medical Care

    Some cuts are too large and deep to be appropriately treated at home or in an urgent care facility.

    If you experience a severe wound, you should head to an emergency room for immediate attention.

    It is recommended to seek emergency treatment for a cut when

    • The bleeding wont stop, or blood is spurting out
    • The laceration is deeper than one-quarter inch
    • A rusted object caused the cut
    • Muscle, fat, or bone is exposed
    • The cut is located over a joint
    • The injury affects a major artery or vein
    • There is an object embedded in the cut
    • You have sustained an amputation

    For immediate care for a deep, infected cut, call 9-1-1 now.

    What Your Urgent Care Doctor Can Do For Skin Infections And Abscesses

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    Your urgent care doctor will examine your skin infection or abscess. If you have an abscess, your doctor will also need to incise and drain your abscess in the office. This process is much less painful than allowing it to happen naturally, and the pus must leave your body.

    If you get antibiotic treatment early enough, you can avoid drainage. If you suspect that you have a skin infection or an abscess, do not delay treatment.

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    How To Tell If A Cut Is Infected Or Healing

    Everyone gets a cut sometimes. Most cuts can be treated at home, but sometimes they get infected and need medical attention. Know when to seek care.

    Eric JacksononOctober 10, 2021

    Everyone gets a cut sometimes, whether its an errant piece of paper or a workout accident. Most cuts can be treated with first aid at home.

    You can typically prevent infections and complications by quickly cleaning and caring for the cut. But in some cases, bacteria get inside. When this happens, the infected cut will get worse instead of healing. This is when you need to seek medical attention and treatment at your nearest urgent care clinic.

    Scratches Scrapes And Cuts: Infected Wound Prevention And Care

    Risks of Infected Cuts, Scrapes, and ScratchesAs we mentioned above, you may not have sought out immediate medical treatment when the initial injury first happened. You might have been able to originally treat that cut or scrape at home, providing you didnt need stitches. But if that injury becomes contaminated with bacteria, this will be your answer of when to go to urgent care.

    Thats because left untreated, an infected wound can have serious consequences. While an infected cut or scrape might not be a life-or-death situation at first, it can quickly spiral into a true medical emergency. Infections can cause the healthy tissue surrounding the wound to die, resulting in the loss of limbs. In some situations, the infection can spread to the bloodstream and cause septic shock. That can cause organ failure or fatalities.

    Of course, this wont happen right away so if you catch an infection early and seek out medical treatment immediately, you should make a full recovery. But thats why its essential to take action quickly. Its also why youll need to learn to recognize the signs of a potential infection.

    • Pus or drainage of the wound
    • Warmth on or around the injury
    • Foul odors emanating from the wound
    • Red streaks moving away from the injury
    • Increased swelling, tenderness, or redness
    • Enlarged lymph nodes
    • Rapid pulse and/or rapid breathing
    • Diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting

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