Plasters – protection that should be changed frequently

A plaster protects the wound from dirt and grime, knocks, jabs and prods, and above all infections, until a scab has formed to help the wound heal without being disturbed. If the wound is in an exposed spot, e.g. on a knuckle, it's good to have a protective plaster even after the scab has formed.

Most plasters should be changed every day in order to reduce the risk of infection. This is particularly important if the plaster gets wet and dirty or if blood has soaked through.

If you injure yourself

If you injure yourself and have a cut or gash, it’s important to cleanse the wound straight away:

• Rinse the wound under the tap with lukewarm water until you have got rid of all the dirt. If you have wound antiseptic, e.g. Desivon, you can also use that. It is important to rinse off any soil, shards of glass or other objects that may have entered the wound.
• Dry the skin around the wound with a clean compress or a cotton-wool pad.

If you do not wash the wound clean, bacteria from the skin or the surroundings can get into the wound and create an infection. It will infect more easily if any splinters, gravel or small debris are left in the wound. NB! Do not wash large-scale or very dirty wounds, bite wounds or burn injuries yourself. Just apply a protective haemostatic dressing and seek medical assistance.

What happens when the wound heals?

The body itself attempts to repair the wound by a series of ingenious measures. The bleeding is stopped by the action of fibrinogen escaping from the blood vessels and forming fibrin, which turns into a kind of netting. This captures platelets and red blood cells to form a natural haemostatic to stop the blood – a scab. White blood cells flow to the wound area to tackle the bacteria.

The skin around the wound area may now turn slightly red – an inflammation has developed, the body's normal way of healing a wound completely. If there are too many bacteria or the bacteria are highly vigorous, however, it may become a wound infection, in which case the skin around the wound turns glaring red, swollen and tender. The wound begins to run, and a pus-filled blister sometimes forms. Red streaks up in the vicinity of the lymph glands, swelling and tenderness of the lymph glands and/or fever are always signs of the spread of an infection.

If there are only local signs of an infection around a small wound, this should be treated with compresses steeped in spirit of aluminium acetotartrate solution.

Moist wounds heal faster

These days we know that wounds can heal considerably faster in a moist environment than a dry, airy one. In a moist environment, new cells are formed more quickly and the risk of scar formation and infections decreases. Now there are special plasters, manufactured from an extremely thin and pliable material that encapsulates the wound and acts as a spare skin to replace the scab. You can also take a shower or bath wearing these plasters, as they exclude water 100%. Just remember to cleanse the wound extra carefully and never place tight plasters on infected wounds.