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Lacerations: When It's An Emergency

March 18, 2024

Lacerations: When It's An Emergency

Lacerations, also known as cuts, are a common injury for patients to visit the emergency room. The seriousness of the laceration will determine if medical care is necessary. The emergency room is designated to treat lacerations that require pain medication, sutures, or a greater medical diagnose. Identifying lacerations that exclusively need urgent medical attention will help the hospital staff to provide a better and more efficient service.

When to Visit the Emergency Room 

The first aid kit in your counter is suitable for small cuts or scratches, but when it comes to deeper cuts, treating them at home can be intimidating. 

While medical professionals should provide laceration treatment, it is important to identify if the wound requires their services. 

Here are some signs that indicate the necessity of medical attention:

Severe Bleeding

Lacerations with severe bleeding involve excessive bleeding, non-stop bleeding for over 10 minutes after constant pressure has been applied, or spurting blood.

Internal Bleeding

Blood spots often show as a result of serious trauma. Internal bleeding caused by lacerations should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. 

Potential Infections 

There are a variety of causes that result in a laceration. Wound seriousness increases when there has been bacteria/germs exposure because it can lead to infection.

Seek professional medical aid if the wound was made by:

  • Biting from animals or humans.
  • Contaminated or dirty items.

Lacerations made by contaminated items might include a tetanus shot in their treatment. Some examples are wounds caused by dog bites or by rusty metals.

Wound Size

Lacerations are considered big and in need of medical care when they present a size longer than a half-inch, have wide-open edges, or are deep enough to show the dermis (the thick skin layer located under the epidermis).

Wound Location 

Some lacerations, although they seem like minor cuts, are classified as serious injuries because of the body area in which they reside. Parts of the human body inevitably have more friction and movement than others, which makes the healing process more complicated. 

Get immediate medical attention if the wound is located on or around joints (elbows or knees), near the eyes, on the mouth or genitals.

How to Make an Efficient Visit to the Emergency Room? 

The emergency room focuses on giving medical services to people presenting any of the symptoms mentioned above. 

If medical attention is urgently needed, consider the following measurements before visiting the emergency room: 

  • Do not remove any buried objects in the wound, otherwise, it might worsen the cut’s size and bleeding.
  • Avoid food or fluids consumption for medicine, like analgesics, to have a quick effect on your system.
  • Apply constant pressure with a clean cloth to reduce bleeding. If the bleeding is soaking the cloth, instead of removing it, place another one on top.
  • Carefully clean the wound. Wash your hands with soap and water, and proceed to clean it, exclusively, with running tap water. Gently pat dry the injury with a clean cloth and avoid scrubbing. Cover with a bandage after cleansing.

Visit the nearest emergency room or call 911 if you need immediate medical attention. Doctors will evaluate your condition and provide you an appropriate diagnosis and following instructions into how to treat a cut during recovery.

BASS Urgent Care counts with a highly-qualified healthcare team. In case of emergency, BASS Urgent Care will provide you with the best medical services without the need to book an appointment. To receive further information, contact us online or visit our medical facilities today!

At BASS Primary Care Walk-in Clinic, it's Your Health, Your Schedule.