STAB WOUNDS A nail sticking out of a piece of wood or any other sharp object such as a bicycle spoke or needle, can cause a potentially serious wound. On the surface the wound may look so small as not to be worth worrying about, but it may go deep into the flesh, carrying dirt or germs with it. If the wound becomes infected, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, causing serious illness and even death. Treat all stab wounds as serious. Stop any bleeding, dress the wound and take the casualty to your doctor or to the Accident and Emergency Department of you local hospital. If the object which caused the wound remains embedded in the flesh, do not try to remove it. It could be helping to plug the wound, and pulling it out could make the bleeding much worse. Instead, cover the object with a ring-pad or the bottom half of a paper cup so that it will not be forced deeper by the dressing while the casualty is being taken to hospital. |
