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first aid

A cut is probably infected when redness, swelling, and pain get worse after the first two or three days instead of better, or when pus, a red streak spreading from...

first aid

Leave the roof of skin in place, cover the blister, and get the pressure off it. The American Academy of Dermatology says to avoid popping or draining a blister, as...

first aid

Here is how to treat road rash: wash your hands, rinse the affected area with cool running water, wash out every piece of grit, pat the skin dry, cover it...

first aid

When does a cut need stitches? A cut may need stitches when it is deeper than a quarter inch, longer than half an inch, gaping open, still bleeding after 10...

first aid

To stop a cut from bleeding, press a clean cloth or folded gauze pad firmly on the wound and hold it without lifting it to look. The American Academy of...

first aid

Adhesive bandages are five layers, not one strip. There is a backing of woven fabric or plastic film, a pressure sensitive adhesive coated onto it, an absorbent pad with a...

first aid

Bandage sizes come down to one rule: the pad has to fully cover the wound, and the adhesive has to land on clean, dry, intact skin all the way around...

first aid

To remove a bandage that is stuck to a wound, wet the whole dressing with water or saline, wait a few minutes, then lift it slowly from one edge instead...

first aid

The best bandages for knuckles are H-shaped: they wrap the joint instead of sitting on top of it. An H-shaped knuckle bandage has four tabs that fold above and below...

first aid

Here is how to clean a cut and treat a scrape, in the order that matters: stop the bleeding with steady pressure, rinse the wound under clean running water and...

first aid

How long to keep a bandage on comes down to two rules running at once. Keep the cut covered until it has closed over, and change the dressing at least...

first aid

Should you cover a cut or let it air out? Cover it. Cleveland Clinic is direct about this: "Airing out most wounds isn't beneficial because wounds need moisture to heal....

first aid

Bandages are used for five separate jobs, not one. What are bandages used for, in plain terms: keeping dirt and bacteria out of an open wound, holding in moisture so...

first aid

First aid bandages split into seven families, and most of them are not the sticky strip people picture. Here is the reference in one pass: adhesive bandages for everyday minor...