Lacerations

One of the easiest medical conditions to diagnose and treat, minor lacerations can tear the top layer (or layers) of skin. Cuts and scrapes are common but any open laceration is an easy entryway for bacteria and infections.

Minor skin wounds can result from sudden trauma (like falling off your bike), a quick knife nip, or skinning an arm or knee sliding into third base.

Lacerations are tearing wounds often caused by blunt trauma. Depending on how deep the cut is, its location and how much it bleeds, make an appointment at an urgent care near you.

Different Kinds of Skin Lacerations

A cut often refers to a mild laceration that probably doesn’t need more than a bandage and antibacterial ointment. Lacerations, on the other hand, are deeper and may impact nerves, muscles and tendons.

• Cuts. Nerve and muscle damage sometimes occur, depending on the depth of the cut, such as a slicing wound from a kitchen knife.
• Lacerations. Skin lacerations are irregularly shaped and tend to have ragged edges. Bruising, redness and swelling are common.
• Abrasions. When you fall off your bike and skin your knee? That bumpy road rash is a superficial abrasion. The scrapes may contain gravel, tar or dirty road debris, so clean the area as soon as you can.
• Punctures. Made by a sharp object, like a nail, puncture wounds may not bleed much but they can cut deeply. Apply pressure and use hydrogen peroxide (or soap and water) to cleanse shallow puncture wounds.

Signs of infection

Even a simple scrape can be harmful if it gets dirty.

Cat and dog bites should be treated as cuts or punctures, and their mouths contain plenty of infection-causing bacteria. Depending on the severity of any animal bite, a doctor may prescribe antibiotic ointment or oral antibiotics and pain relief medication. Deeper wounds may require stitches.

If you haven’t had a rabies shot or a tetanus shot in more than five years, our urgent care providers may suggest getting them to prevent infection from bites, abrasions and other lacerations.