Stab wounds

The cause of stabbing wound can be nails, needles, pins, buttons and other sharp objects. The most important question in this case is whether a vaccine is needed against tetanus. As a rule, in most cases a child who receives a stab wound does need medical help.

Most of the stab wounds occur on the limbs. If such a wound is on the head, abdomen or chest, certain internal injuries are possible. Even if the wound is small, seek help from a specialist.

Damage to large vessels or nerves is rare, but these injuries are very serious. A sign that the artery is damaged is prolonged bleeding, which is difficult to stop. Nerve damage usually causes numbness of the

around the wound or tingling. Such stab wounds, as a rule, are applied with narrow and thin objects, for example with a needle. Nails, awl and other large prickly objects can cause more serious injuries.

To avoid infection of the wound, make sure that it does not hit any foreign body. Sometimes it happens that the end of the needle breaks off and stays in the tissue. If there are suspicions that there is a foreign body in the wound, ask for help from a specialist. It should be remembered that the signs of infection do not appear immediately after the puncture: the bacteria need at least 24 hours to spread.

Many doctors believe that middle-sized puncture wounds are best treated with antibiotics. It should be remembered that an infection that has fallen into a wound on the arm and penetrates deeply enough can lead to the loss of motor functions. If your child has pricked a hand, and not a finger, it is best to seek advice from a specialist.

Special attention should be paid to the wound if the child is pricked on the beach, on the playground or in any other public place, as there is a great risk of injuring the medical needles that were in use. If this occurs or the child is injured in a public place, seek medical advice immediately.

Your actions

Wash the wound to avoid getting an infection in it. If the bleeding is not strong, then stop it is not necessary. Blood will remove from the wound all foreign bodies, since it is very difficult to extract them from the stab wound. Also, do not apply a tourniquet.

Carefully treat the wound with warm soapy water and check for foreign bodies. You can also use a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Wash the wound in warm water several times a day for four to five days. The purpose of this procedure is to prevent the wound from dragging on as long as possible,

so that pathogenic microbes and foreign bodies are removed from the open wound. If the puncture site closes, an infection can begin to develop under the skin, which will be difficult to detect for several days.

The doctor examines the wound and answers all questions. If necessary, a surgical operation will be performed. If the doctor assumes that a foreign body remains in the wound, an X-ray photograph will be taken.

Be prepared to tell your doctor the date of the last inoculation against tetanus. In general, doctors advise home treatment, rarely prescribing antibiotics.

If the wound has been stained with bone fragments, the remaining foreign bodies are not recommended to be removed from the wound immediately. In some cases, glass or wood fragments can also be left for a while in the wound and allow the body to push out the foreign body by itself.

If the wound has been applied with a used medical needle, the doctor will take the necessary measures to avoid infection with the hepatitis virus and AIDS.