Laceration Treatment Clinic in Newington CT

A laceration is a cut or scrape that can be minor or deep and bleeding. A laceration will have none of the skin missing. It is only separated. Some lacerations can seem like minor injuries and become serious if they are not treated properly and quickly.
 
If you get a minor laceration the first thing that you need to try to do is to stop the bleeding. Applying pressure to the area is the first way to stop the bleeding; you will want to clean the area with warm water and gentle soap. Follow that with an antibiotic ointment because you will want to reduce the risk of infection. Cover the wound with a sterile bandage.

Lacerations that are deep or wide will generally need medical assistance since they are more likely to require stitches or staples to keep them closed. Stitching and stapling will promote faster healing, reduce the risk of infection, keep bacteria from entering the wound, and help prevent scarring.
 
A cut that requires stitches should be attended to within six hours of the event. Cuts to the face and head can be attended to as long as 24 hours after the event unless the scrapes are deep and foreign material or dirt has been pushed into the skin. A doctor using stitches or staples can help the wound heal faster and reduce the appearance of scarring.
 
If a laceration has been caused by penetrating glass, metal, or gravel an x-ray is suggested to make sure the wound has been cleared. Fragments can cause permanent damage to the skin and can increase the risk of infection.
 
If you think that your laceration is infected, get medical attention immediately. Signs of infection are redness, swelling, pus, increased pain in the wound, or tenderness that lasts more than a day after the laceration.
 
A doctor addressing the laceration will clean it and give a tetanus shot or other booster as necessary. The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if necessary.
 
The reasons you may want to seek care at Priority Urgent Care & Walk-In Clinic are the following:

• The wound is on your face
• The wound is deep or jagged
• The area of the wound feels numb, and damage to nerves can cause weakness, loss of sensation, or paralysis
• The laceration or puncture wound was caused by a bite from a human or an animal
• You can see muscle, fat, or bone in the wound
• You haven’t had a tetanus shot in the last 5 or 10 years

It will depend on the wound as to how long it will take to heal. Lacerations can take up to three months to heal completely. If stitches are required, the laceration can heal in six to eight weeks. Minor lacerations and cuts can heal in about two weeks.
 
The location of the laceration will impact healing, as well. If the wound is on your foot, hand, knee, or elbow it will likely take longer as the wound keeps being stressed. Immobilizing wounds in these areas can help them heal faster, but can also be frustrating.

A deep laceration is considered to be a severe laceration. A longer or deeper cut is considered to be a deep laceration. Deep lacerations are wounds that require stitches, will not stop bleeding, or are infected. If the wound exposes internal parts like bone, fat, or muscle is also considered to be deep or severe. These can also reach through several layers of tissue and be quite painful.
 
Do not hesitate to see a doctor for a deep or severe laceration.
 
Lacerations happen, and when they are more serious, it is best to have them cleaned and closed by a medical professional. The highly trained doctors and other medical professionals at Priority Urgent Care & Walk-In Clinic will provide expert care. We are available when you need us and no appointment is required. Our clinic is located at 2909 Berlin TPK Newington, CT 06111. For more information, Contact us or simply walk in. We serve patients from Ellington CT, Unionville CT, East Haven CT, Cromwell CT, Oxford, CT and Newington, CT, and BEYOND!