Cuts, Lacerations & Wound Care

What is cuts, lacerations, and wound care?

Wound care at WestsideMed includes an evaluation, diagnostic testing when necessary, and treatment for skin wounds. Examples of these types of injuries include:

• Cuts in the skin
• Scrapes
• Lacerations
• Puncture wounds
• Burns
• Diabetic wounds

If you have a severe injury, especially if it involves a lot of bleeding, go to a nearby emergency room or call 911. 

What are the symptoms of cuts, lacerations, and wounds?

The main symptoms of cuts and lacerations are breaks in the skin, often involving bleeding. The wound might be: 

• Deep 
• Shallow 
• Short 
• Long 

A burn might not break the skin, but it could still be painful and become infected without effective wound care. 

Wounds are often painful. If you develop pus, redness, or warmth around the wound, an infection may be present. 

How are cuts, lacerations, and wounds diagnosed?

Diagnosing cuts, lacerations, and wounds requires an evaluation of the wound and a discussion of your: 

• Symptoms 
• Medical history 
• Medications 
• How the injury occurred 

Your provider might recommend completing a blood test or swab of the affected tissue. 

What are the different types of cuts, lacerations, and wound care?

WestsideMed offers the following cuts, lacerations, and wound care:

Debridement

The WestsideMed team can clean your wound and remove any dead or infected tissues during a procedure called debridement. 

Antibiotics

You might take oral antibiotics or use topical antibiotics to treat an infection caused by a wound. 

Stitches

Stitches close a wound to ensure it heals properly. The WestsideMed team may recommend using staples instead for certain types of wounds.

Bandaging

Specialized bandaging available at WestsideMed helps keep your wound clean and protected while it heals.

Skin grafting

Certain types of wounds may benefit from bioengineered skin grafts to better protect the wound and speed up the healing process.

Healthy lifestyle habits

To maximize wound healing, it’s important to eat a balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, and avoid smoking.

Which type of cut, laceration, and wound care is right for me?

Your WestsideMed provider customizes a plan offering highly effective results. They may recommend more than one type of wound care treatment to ensure the best results with minimal scarring. 

Follow up with your provider as needed to ensure there’s no infection and/or to have any stitches removed. 

Schedule a cuts, lacerations, and wound care appointment at WestsideMed by calling the office or using the online booking feature today.