Saline Wound Cleaning
- If someone has an open wound that is bleeding, the bleeding must be stopped as soon as possible. If this is not done, there is a possibility that the victim will go into shock and may even die by bleeding out.
The first thing to do is to plug the hole or otherwise apply pressure over it to encourage the blood to clot. Pressure should be applied directly on the wound, using gauze or another clean material if available. If the blood starts to soak through the gauze, you should not remove it to change it with another piece. This is because peeling off the gauze only serves to encourage the bleeding to resume by removing vital clotting agents. You should simply layer on another piece of gauze on top of the original piece and continue to apply pressure. - Sometimes you will only have clean water and soap to clean the wound. This usually stings and it is recommended that you use saline solution if it is available because not only is it gentler on the damaged skin, but also less likely to cause infection through bacterial contamination.
Saline can also be used to clean eyes if something gets caught in them because it is sterile. Rinse the entire depth of the cut, getting rid of any visible contaminants. If you are using soap, ensure that all the soap is rinsed off before attempting to dress the wound. - If the wound is still visibly contaminated and the contaminants can't be rinsed out, don't dress the wound because it will only encourage infection. If the wound can't be cleaned, just try to stem the blood flow and wait for medical help to arrive.
If you have any antiseptic, apply it to the wound before dressing it to kill and prevent any germs from infecting it. Cover the wound with an adhesive dressing or roller gauze. Roller gauze is recommended if body hair is getting in the way of the dressing. These dressings should be changed at least every 12 hours to reduce the risk of infection.
