Medical
Deep wound or cut (no massive bleeding)
Deep, dirty, or open cut, but the bleeding stops with pressure.
Do this nowTap each step when done
- 1Wash your hands and put on gloves.
- 2Press with gauze until the bleeding stops.
- 3Rinse with a stream of clean water. Soap only around it.
- 4Remove the dirt with a needleless syringe or a bag with a hole.
- 5Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean dressing.
- 6Change the dressing every day or if it gets wet or dirty.
- 7See a doctor if it's deep, open, on the face or a joint, or from a bite.
Don't
- Don't remove embedded objects. Immobilize them with gauze around them.
- Don't let it touch floodwater.
- Don't ignore signs of infection.
Have ready
- Gauze, dressings, and butterfly adhesive closures.
- Saline solution and irrigation syringe.
- Antibiotic ointment and nitrile gloves.
Key factInfection: spreading redness, warmth, pus, red streaks, or fever: see a doctor. Tetanus (CDC): dirty wound and 5 years or more since the last booster, get checked.
More detail
Reviewed: Nov 2026 · Sources: Chapter 7 · First Aid
