What Are the Don’ts of Home Wound Care?
Home wound care can cause more harm than good if it is not done properly. It is important to know what not to do when caring for a wound. Here are some don’ts of wound care at home
Don’t use your bare hands
Hygiene is the most important thing to note when caring for a wound. It is important to prevent spreading infection from your hands to the wound by washing your hands thoroughly and wearing a pair of non-powdered vinyl or nitrile gloves before touching the wound.
Avoid irritation and friction
Avoid doing anything that will cause friction and irritation to the wound site. You can use powdered sheets on the injured area to prevent your wound from shearing. Wound shearing [2] happens when applied pressure combines with friction and causes cell death [3]. Therefore, it is important to avoid massaging or rubbing the injured area. It would also help to be careful when stretching, as it can worsen the injury and cause severe bleeding [4].
Don’t take a bath or soak the wound
Soaking a wound in water can delay recovery. It would help to keep the wound site out of water or reduce bathing time when caring for a wound.
Don’t use an antibiotic
You don’t need to use an antibiotic ointment [5] or drug when caring for a wound. Some studies show that it could delay the healing process. Gentle lathering of the site is enough to get it ready to be dressed and bandaged.
Don’t forget to check-in daily
You might bandage a wound and forget to follow up your progress. Without daily check-in, it would be difficult to properly monitor your wound. Check-in daily to ensure your wound is clean and properly dressed for quick healing.