First Aid for a Gash

I can't remember when I first got my First Aid Kit, but it has been a most valuable and important tool in my garden.  Consider the lawn mower, the clippers, and the trimmers that are used and the damage they may do to you or your loved one if used improperly.  Consider cutting the grass and brushing up against woody branches; consider trimming bushes and trees; and consider chopping up a fallen tree with a motorized saw; and consider digging in the soil with your bare hands.

First Aid Kit

Furthermore, consider bumping into the tractor and its trailer.  Ouch!  Also consider the trailer hitch attached to your car and you walk right into it.  It hurts but it is no big deal until you pull up your pant leg and discover a big gash.  That's what happened to my husband.

Although it may be thought as a "clean" cut, it still needs attention.  It may not bleed profusely, but it is still a big gash and I do not want it exposed and/or become infected.  This is where my First Aid Kit with its supplies  comes in handy.

I do not even attempt to clean the gash but I do apply a generous amount of generic triple antibiotic ointment, cover it with a compress, and wrap it with gauze.

I continue to wrap the the leg with an ACE bandage because with the gauze alone I know that it will slip off the affected area.  The ACE bandage will provide the right pressure and will keep the compress with the antibiotic and the gauze in place.  I change the dressing at least once a day.

If the gash is severe and you are on blood thinning medication, a visit to your doctor may be prudent.  He may prescribe another kind of ointment for you.  While you are at the doctor's office, ask for a tetanus shot, too.  It should be good for 7 - 8 years in Florida.

The most important thing about tending to a gash is to keep it moist.  It may be easier said than done.  If the compress has attached itself to the wound, apply a squirt of saline to loosen the compress.  By keeping the gash moist with the ointment/salve and/or saline, the gash will heal from within and eventually heal.

Today, the local drug store had a good deal for stocking up and refilling my First Aid Kit with antibiotic ointment, gauze and gauze pads, and various tapes.  I also have a strip of of plastic to use as a tourniquet.  Furthermore, in the Kit I have a pair of scissors and a tweezers, bandages, and a pair of gloves.  It's amazing what the First Aid Kit will hold.

Take care of yourself.

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