$Unique_ID{PAR00145}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Scrapes}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Scrapes scrape skin wound uneven bleeding antiseptics antiseptic
ointment antibiotics antibiotic ointments Tetanus Impetigo abrasion abrasions
injury cuts lacerations scab scabs scar scars}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Scrapes


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOM
     - A skin wound that is longer and wider than it is deep

     HOME CARE
     - Wash the wound with soap and water and look carefully for embedded dirt
       or any other foreign matter.
     - Stop bleeding by covering the wound with gauze and applying gentle
       pressure.
     - If there is no dirt in the wound, apply a nonstinging antiseptic, cover
       the scrape, and keep it covered until it has completely healed.
     - If necessary, scrub the wound gently to remove embedded dirt.
       Liberally apply antibiotic ointment twice a day during healing.  Keep
       the area covered with a sterile bandage.
     - If a scrape is on an area that is subject to constant movement (such as
       a joint), ointment should be applied periodically to prevent cracking.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Do not treat at home any wound that involves the full thickness of the
       skin or is deeply soiled.  Take the child to the doctor.
     - If dirt is left in a scrape, it may cause infection or become sealed
       under the skin.
     - A scrape that bleeds evenly over its entire surface requires medical
       attention.
     - Tetanus may develop after a scrape, so keep your child's tetanus
       immunization status up to date.
     - Impetigo may begin at the site of an abrasion.


     A scrape, or abrasion, is a shallow break in the skin caused by an
injury.  Scrapes are distinguished from cuts and lacerations in that they are
not as deep as they are long or wide.  Scrapes are generally the most common
and least dangerous injuries sustained by children.  Most scrapes do not
involve the loss of a full thickness of skin and heal with little or no
scarring.  However, any embedded dirt, sand, gravel, or blacktop may be
permanently sealed under the skin if it is not removed before the abrasion
heals.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Scrapes are easy to identify.  As long as the full thickness of the skin
has not been injured, the surface of the scrape will bleed unevenly, and some
areas will not bleed at all.  When the surface of a scrape does not bleed
uniformly, it is classified as a first- or second-degree abrasion and can be
treated at home.  A third-degree abrasion bleeds uniformly over its entire
surface and must be seen by a doctor because it could leave a scar.

HOME CARE

     Wash the wound with soap and water, and then examine it for any embedded
dirt or other foreign matter.  Inspect the wound carefully under a good
light--with a magnifying glass, if necessary.  To stop the bleeding, place a
square of sterile gauze over the scrape, and apply gentle pressure directly to
the wound.
     If there is no dirt in the wound, apply a nonstinging antiseptic, cover
the scrape with a sterile bandage, and keep it covered until it heals
completely and the scab falls off by itself.
     If the abrasion is in an area that is moved constantly (at a joint, for
example), periodically apply an antibiotic ointment to keep the scab flexible
and to avoid cracking.
     If dirt is embedded in the wound, scrub gently.  Apply liberal amounts of
antibiotic ointment twice a day during healing.  Keep the area covered with a
sterile bandage.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Do not treat a wound that involves the full thickness of the skin or is
     deeply soiled.  Have the doctor look at it.
  -  A scrape that bleeds evenly over its entire surface requires medical
     attention.
  -  Remove dirt from an abrasion, both to guard against infection and to
     prevent the dirt from being permanently sealed under the skin.
  -  It is unlikely, but not impossible, that tetanus will follow a scrape.
     Because minor abrasions are seldom treated by a doctor, take the
     precaution of keeping your child's tetanus immunization status up to
     date.
  -  Impetigo may begin at the site of an abrasion.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If an abrasion is deep and badly soiled, your doctor may apply a local
anesthetic to the region and scrub out the dirt with a brush or a substance
that will dissolve the dirt.

RELATED TOPICS:  Cuts; Immunizations; Impetigo; Puncture wounds; Tetanus