How to Treat Puncture Wounds

Puncture wounds are often sustained by long sharp objects protruding from the ground or out of a wall. These puncture wounds are often caused by rusty nails or sharp pieces of wood or other metal. Here's how to treat puncture wounds so that they don't cause infection or other diseases such as tetanus.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Salt
• Water
• Tetanus shot
• X-rays
• Ultrasound
• Antibiotics

1. Soak the wound in warm salty water for 20 minutes if you are not in a position to go to the emergency room right away. This will draw some of the bacteria out of the puncture wound. Remove the affected appendage from the salt water solution and dab dry with a clean paper towel. Place a clean gauze pad over the puncture wound, tape in place. Put on a clean white sock if the wound is on your foot or hand.
2. Get a tetanus shot as soon as possible as your next line of defense against bacteria. Tetanus bacteria live in soil, dust, manure and saliva. Puncture wounds are serious as the tetanus bacteria may enter the body and cause lockjaw, which is a very real danger resulting from untreated injuries. Lockjaw is a serious condition that tightens all the body's muscles, including the jaw and makes it impossible to open the mouth or swallow. This can cause death through suffocation.
3. X-rays and ultrasounds may be necessary to detect embedded foreign objects, if any, within the deep tissue of the wound. Foreign objects will be flushed with a high-pressure irrigation device to dislodge and remove it from the tissue. Wood splinters and ligaments in the foot may look very alike in an x-ray or ultrasound; therefore certainty has to be established before opening the wound to remove what is thought to be a foreign object.
4. A course of antibiotics will be given to ensure any bacteria will be killed and so the patient may recover from the injury. The doctor will want a follow-up every 2 or 3 days to monitor the progress of recovery.

Tips & Warnings

• Always seek professional medical attention as soon as possible after the puncture wound has occurred