Laceration, All Closures

Home care

• If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, follow all instructions for taking this medicine. This is to help prevent infection. Take the medicine every day until it's gone, or you are told to stop. You should not have any left over.

• Follow instructions for taking any pain medicines. The doctor may prescribe medicines for pain. If none was prescribed, you can use over-the-counter pain medicines. Talk with your doctor before using these medicines if you have chronic liver or kidney disease, ever had a stomach ulcer or digestive bleeding, or are on a blood thinner medicine.

• Follow the doctor’s instructions on how to care for the cut.

• Always wash your hands before and after cleaning the wound or changing the dressing.

• Keep the wound clean and dry. Don't get the wound wet until you are told it's okay to do so. If the area gets wet, gently pat it dry with a clean cloth. Replace the wet bandage with a dry one.

• If a bandage was applied and it becomes wet or dirty, replace it. Otherwise, leave it in place for the first 24 hours.

• Caring for stitches or staples: Once you no longer need to keep them dry, clean the wound daily. First remove the bandage. Then wash the area gently with soap and clean running water, or as directed by the doctor. Use a wet cotton swab to loosen and remove any blood or crust that forms. After cleaning, apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment if advised. Then put on a new bandage unless you are told not to.

• Caring for skin glue: Don’t apply liquid, ointment, or cream on the wound while the glue is in place. It will loosen the glue. Don't do activities that cause heavy sweating. Protect the wound from sunlight. Don't scratch, rub, or pick at the adhesive film. Don't place tape directly over the film. The glue should peel off on its own in 5 to 10 days. If it does not fall off after 5 to 10 days, use an antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly to loosen it, then gently peel it off.

• Caring for surgical tape: Keep the area dry. If it gets wet, blot it dry with a clean towel. Surgical tape often falls off in 7 to 10 days. If it has not fallen off after 10 days, you can take it off yourself. Put mineral oil or petroleum jelly on a cotton ball and gently rub the tape until it's removed.

• Once you can get the wound wet, you may shower as normal. Don't soak the wound in water (no tub baths or swimming).

• Check the wound daily for the signs of infection listed below. Even with correct treatment, a wound infection may sometimes occur.

Scalp wounds

Follow your doctor's specific instructions on showering. During the first 2 days, you may carefully rinse your hair in the shower to remove blood, glass, or dirt particles. After 2 days, you may shower and shampoo your hair normally. Don't soak your scalp in the tub or go swimming until the stitches or staples have been removed. Talk with your doctor before applying any antibiotic ointment to the wound.

Avoid scratching or picking on the wound scab. It will delay healing. Avoid using hair products like dyes, hair spray, or extensions while a scalp wound heals.

Mouth wounds

Eat soft foods to reduce pain. Avoid hot and spicy foods. If the cut is inside your mouth, clean it by rinsing after each meal and at bedtime with a mixture of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide. (Don't swallow it.) Or you can use a cotton swab to apply hydrogen peroxide onto the cut. You may also be prescribed a chlorhexidine solution to rinse with.

Brush and floss your teeth gently. Mouth wounds can be painful when eating. You may use an over-the-counter local numbing solution for pain relief. If this isn't available, you may use any numbing solution intended for teething babies. You may apply this directly to the sores with a cotton-tip swab or with your clean finger. Always wash your hands before and after cleaning the wound.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your doctor as advised. Ask your doctor how long stitches should be left in place. Be sure to return for stitch removal as directed. If dissolving stitches were used in the mouth, these should fall out or dissolve on their own. If tape closures were used, remove them yourself when your doctor advises if they haven't fallen off on their own. If skin glue was used, the film will wear off by itself. Try to keep healing wounds out of direct sunlight for the first couple of months to try to lessen scarring.

When to get medical advice

Contact your doctor right away if you have:

• Signs of infection, including increasing pain in the wound, increasing wound redness or swelling, or pus or bad odor coming from the wound.

• A fever of 100.4°F (38.ºC) or higher, or as advised by your doctor.

• Chills.

• Stitches or staples that come apart or fall out, or surgical tape that falls off before 7 days and the wound appears to be reopening.

• Wound edges that reopen.

• Wound color changes.

• Numbness around the wound after any numbing medicine should have worn off.

• Decreased movement or stiffness around the injured area.

Call 911

Call 911 if you can't control the wound bleeding with direct pressure.