When Is An Injury Serious?
One of the most dangerous places on Earth may be somewhere you go every
day. Kitchen injuries like knife wounds can happen any time, but using some
basic first-aid tips can help you determine whether a trip to the emer
One of the most dangerous places on Earth may be somewhere you go every
day. Kitchen injuries like knife wounds can happen any time, but using some
basic first-aid tips can help you determine whether a trip to the emergency
room is in order. Dr Kurt Kleinschmidt, a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas assistant professor of emergency medicine, says the initial bleeding
from a cut is rarely a good sign of the seriousness of the injury.
"A knife cut is probably going to bleed a lot," he says. "Apply steady
pressure to the wound for five to 10 minutes, and then assess the wound
once the bleeding has stopped."
If you've cut more than the superficial layer of skin, if the edges of
the cut can be pulled far apart, if it's possible a foreign body might
be in the cut, or if your finger feels numb or weak, Kleinschmidt
recommends having a medical professional look at the wound.
"If your cut doesn't need medical attention, the best advice is to keep
it clean, and plain old soap and water is the best way to do that,"
Kleinschmidt says. 