What happens before wound care and dressing?

The clinician will ask how the injury happened and when, then inspect its size, edges, depth and nearby tissue. They may check sensation, movement, circulation and whether dirt, glass or another object is present. They also consider your medicines, allergies, diabetes, immune health and vaccination history because these can affect wound management.

Cleaning, closure, dressing or referral depends on those findings. A wound that looks small can still need assessment if it is deep, heavily contaminated, caused by a bite or affecting movement or sensation.

Wash your hands, apply gentle direct pressure with clean material for bleeding and cover the wound. Do not pull out a deeply embedded object, scrub a deep wound or apply unadvised substances. If the injury is a burn, cool it with cool running water and remove nearby jewellery or clothing that is not stuck to the skin.

Bring information about allergies, medicines and your last tetanus vaccination if known. Keep the dressing area accessible and tell the clinician about numbness, increasing pain or difficulty moving the affected part.

Seek urgent help for bleeding that does not settle with firm pressure, a deep or gaping wound, loss of feeling or movement, a wound from a bite, or an embedded object. Emergency care is needed for severe burns, pale or blue skin, collapse or rapidly worsening swelling. Redness spreading from the wound, pus, fever or increasing pain also needs prompt assessment.

Ask how the wound should be cleaned, when the dressing should be changed, which infection signs to watch for, whether closure or vaccination review is needed, and when follow-up should occur.