How to Treat Road Rash After a Cycling Accident

Road rash is an abrasion on your skin caused by falling on the pavement. With a few simple steps you can treat your road rash to keep it from getting infected, and to help it heal better.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• First aid kit
• Water

1. Rinse your wound with clean water, even if it isn't bleeding. If soap is available, wash the wound with soap.

2. Use clean gauze or a clean rag and apply pressure to stop any bleeding.

3. Apply a triple antibiotic cream once bleeding has stopped.

4. Change gauze pads if rash is still oozing or has taken off a lot of skin. Make sure the gauze pad covers the whole rash area, and apply nonstick first aid cloth tape to hold down the pad.

5. Remove the bandage and allow the wound to harden after a day, if the rash is not bleeding.

Tips & Warnings

• To avoid scarring, resist the urge to pick or remove any scabs.
• If after a day or longer your wound appears red, has angry red striations or irregular lines around tit, or doesn't appear to be healing, you need to see your doctor.

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[nuzach]

on 6/19/2009 Most of the present literature (i.e., websites and magazine articles) indicate that to "Remove the bandage and allow the wound to harden after a day" is about the worst thing you can do for an abrasion. Most sources agree that it's better to keep the abrasion moist, either by using an antibiotic ointment (e.g., neosporin) covered with non-stick pads and secured with medical tape, or by using "second skin" type hyrdrocollodial dressing (e.g., Tegaderm), which binds to the wound and protects it while it heals. Letting a scab form would be the last thing I would do for a case of road rash.