Prevent Wound Infection: Clean, Treat, Protect

A small cut or scrape can quickly turn into a big deal if you don’t give it the attention it needs. On average, about 5% to 32% of everyday cuts get infected. If your small papercut or skinned knees end up infected, you’ll have to seek medical treatment. The wound may need to be drained or flushed or you may need to be put on antibiotics.

Avoid that trip to the doctor by learning exactly how to clean, treat, and protect your wound the right way. And you can even avoid that trip to the store! You can successfully follow these steps using only items from your Keep>Going First Aid Kit bag. So, grab your handy personal First Aid Kit and follow along.

• Clean it.

At the first signs of blood, you may be tempted to grab your wound with your hand. However, before touching it, thoroughly wash your hands to ensure you don’t spread bacteria to your new boo-boo. If you notice the bleeding simply won’t stop, apply pressure to the wound using a paper towel or tissue.

In case your kid is the one with the injury and you don't have access to clean water and soap, make sure to clean your hands with hand sanitizer and try to keep your child from touching it.
Clean the wound with antiseptic wipes, our First Aid Kits include special BZK wipes, that won’t sting – we promise, we have used them with our kids many times ;- )

If the wound is on a finger, arm, hand, or leg, elevate it above your heart for a few minutes. This may just seem like a fun yoga move but it’s actually to stop the blood from flowing to the wound.

• Treat it.

If you see any dirt or debris in the wound, use the tweezers in your Keep>Going First Aid Kit bag to gently pick it out. Your Keep>Going cute First Aid Kit also has a triple antibiotic ointment that’s designed to prevent infection. Use the handy cotton tip applicator to apply a thin layer of ointment to your wound and to avoid touching the wound directly.

• Protect it.

A sterile bandage that covers the entire wound is what protects your injury from all the germs and bacteria in the outside world. Your compact First Aid Kit is packed full of a variety of bandages. Choose the one that’s comfortable and perfectly sized for your wound.

To lessen your chance for infection, change your bandage out everyday until your injury heals. Re-apply the antibiotic ointment from your personal First Aid Kit each time you swap it out.

If you follow these steps to clean, treat, and protect your wound, you’re likely to skirt infection. However, if you notice sudden redness around the area, it begins to swell, you develop a fever, or the wound starts to pus, seek medical attention immediately. Your Keep>Going First Aid Kit is Designed to Help and has all the items you need to effectively clean, treat, and protect your wound.