5 Essential Home Wound Care Supplies

Dec 30
09:10

2011

Tim Nahm

Tim Nahm

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Wound and minor traumas are amongst the most frequent medical occurrences that usually do not require the attention of a medical professional or a nurse, unless the symptoms worsen or some complications appear. A properly treated wound prevents contamination and infection development within the affected area. In order to effectively care for a wound at home, you need some basic wound care supplies.

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1)    Adhesive strips and band aids. These are ideal for minor wounds that affect a small portion of your skin,5 Essential Home Wound Care Supplies Articles are superficial and do not involve important bleeding. Before application make sure to clean the wound with water and soap and then disinfect the wound with an antiseptic like providone-iodine, also known as Beta dine.

2)    Alcohol wipes. Frequently the wound area needs to be thoroughly cleaned due to possible contamination or dirt. Alcohol wipes are ideal for this purpose. It is important to note that in this case alcohol wipes are to be regarded more as a cleaning agent rather than an antiseptic. However, alcohol wipes are also used when disinfecting the site of an injection. Alcohol wipes can also be used to clean the hands when running water and soap are not available.

3)    Gauze packing strips and dressings. If a wound is deeper and more extensive, adhesive strips are not enough to effectively treat it. One needs to clean the wound, disinfect it and use wound filler material such as gauze packing strips to block any potential contact with bacteria and dirt.

4)    Bandages and tape. Once a gauze packing strip has been used as a wound filler, external bandage or tape needs to be applied to hold it in place and prevent contamination and displacement.

5)    Last but not least, an antiseptic is a very important wound care supply. Once the wound was cleaned with water and soap or alcohol wipes, you need to use an antiseptic to disinfect the area and prevent an infection. A providone-iodine solution, also known as Beta dine, is the perfect choice due to its broad anti-bacterial action.