How to use wound care ointment

In most scenarios, wound care ointment should be applied thinly on the surface of the wound after debridement is completed and there is no obvious exudation from the wound. 1-2 times a day is enough. It should not be applied too thickly to suffocate the wound, and it is not recommended to apply it directly on a wound that is still actively bleeding and has not been cleaned.

A while ago, I met a mother downstairs who went to social welfare with her child who broke her knee. She said that the old man did not wash off the sand embedded in the child's wound the day before, so he smeared a thick layer of home care ointment and covered it with thick gauze for one night. When he removed the gauze the next day, the entire wound was white and swollen, with yellow pus oozing out. It was a superficial abrasion that should have healed in a week, but it took almost 20 days for the swelling to subside, and the scab fell away, leaving a very obvious discoloration.

Of course, this does not mean that thick application is necessarily wrong. There is also a clinical view that if it is a chronic, difficult-to-heal wound such as deep pressure sores or diabetic foot, under the guidance of a doctor, thick application of a debridement-type nursing cream to remove saprophysis and regenerate muscle can actually speed up the process. For healing, ordinary people like us usually encounter small scratches and scratches. A thin application is enough. After all, what we want is a breathable protective film, not an airtight oilcloth. If it is applied thickly, the exudate will be trapped under the wound, which can easily breed bacteria.

I usually go hiking outdoors, and it is common for me to be scratched by branches and rubbed against stones. I have some experience in dealing with small wounds. The last time I was walking on the wild trail, I got a five-centimeter long gash from a thorny bush. At that time, there was only bottled mineral water on the mountain. I washed the wound for almost two minutes to clean away all the plant debris and mud stains on the surface. After I got home, I rinsed it again with normal saline, sterilized it with iodine, and let it dry for three minutes. When there was no clear tissue fluid on the surface anymore, I squeezed out an amount of nursing ointment about the size of a soybean, and spread it evenly with a clean cotton swab in a thin layer, just enough to cover the wound but not fall down. I didn’t wrap it with gauze. When wearing long sleeves, be careful to roll up the cuffs so as not to rub against them. The scabs formed in three days, and there was almost no mark left after the scabs fell off.

As for whether or not to wrap gauze after application, there is no unified standard. Both opinions have basis. If the wound is on the hands or knees where it will rub against clothes or tabletops, apply a thin layer of sterile Vaseline gauze and cover it with a layer of sterile Vaseline gauze to avoid rubbing off the care cream and block external dust. If the wound is on the back or upper arm, which is rarely touched, just let it dry directly, which will help the wound dry and scab, and you don't have to wrap it tightly and make it stuffy.

Some people also ask whether it can be applied to scabbed wounds to prevent scarring. To be honest, it depends on the situation. If the scab is dry and hard and it hurts when you move it, applying a little can soften the scab and prevent bleeding.

If you encounter a wound that is more than one centimeter deep, or is scratched by rusty iron or dirty iron nails, don't apply nursing cream at home. Go to the social welfare department first to see a doctor for treatment. Tetanus and tetanus should be stitched and stitched. If such a deep wound is not treated properly, it is not a trivial matter to become infected.