Wounds can happen at home under a variety of circumstances. They can occur while cooking, when a sharp object accidentally scrapes the skin, or during minor accidents like falling off of a bike and skidding on the pavement. Animal bites are another type of injury that often occur at home, and more severe wounds can happen during car accidents or other traumatic events.

Diabetics needs to be extremely diligent about their wound care. Symptoms of diabetes include poor circulation, nerve damage and a compromised immune system. As a result, wounds take longer to heal and can lead to dangerous infection if not treated properly.

Tips for Treating Wounds at Home
If a wound is bleeding severely, call 911 as soon as possible for immediate professional assistance. It is usually possible to treat minor wounds at home, and in severe cases you will have to take the initial steps yourself before paramedics arrive. It’s a good idea to keep a first aid kit handy at all times to treat simple wounds yourself or to stabilize injuries before medical attention is administered.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the following treatment tips should be followed when treating wounds at home:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or use an antibacterial hand sanitizer to prevent infection
• Wash the cut with mild soap and water and be sure to rinse away all soap residue
• If you see objects inside the wound or a body part is protruding, seek medical attention
• Apply pressure directly to the wound to stop bleeding
• Apply an antibacterial ointment, such as Neosporin
• Apply a clean bandage that will not stick to the wound

Things to Remember

• If a cut appears to be more than a quarter inch deep, you should seek medical care as it may require stitches to heal properly
• Poisonous snake bites, spider bites, stings, and animal bites can cause severe damage and require immediate medical attention

Long Term Wound Care

• Be sure to change dressings on a wound daily or as directed by your physician
• Follow proper wound cleansing techniques as determined by your physician
• Treat the wound with antibiotic ointment or use medication exactly as prescribed
• Carefully check for infection while changing the dressing
• Signs of infection include: red or swollen skin, a foul smell and warm skin
• Keep regular appointments for wound care

If you are experiencing a serious medical emergency, call 911 for assistance. University Hospital and Medical Center’s emergency department provides treatment to all patients as quickly as possible. The Wound Healing Center at UHMC also offers patients care specific to their medical condition to prevent the onset of dangerous infection. Please call our free Consult-A-Nurse® service to learn more about our wound healing services or for a physician referral at 1-888-256-7728.

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UHMC Emergency Care

A trip to the ER is almost always unexpected. To make this scary time easier on you and to make sure that you or your loved one gets the best care possible, take some steps to prepare for the trip ahead of time.

How to Be Prepared
Learn the locations of your local emergency rooms in the event that you need to drive to the ER on a moment’s notice. Multicare.org suggests keeping an organized list of all of your family’s medications, illnesses, allergies, operations, physicians and pharmacies. Be sure to share this data with your family and associates so that they can communicate to emergency medical technicians more effectively on your behalf. You should also educate your children about their medications in the event they need to tell ER personnel. KidsHealth.org suggests leaving relevant medical information for babysitters as well.

What You Should Carry on Your Person
Once you have organized and created a list of all your family’s medical conditions and needs, be sure to bring it with you to the ER. Don’t forget that HCA hospitals offer the ICE card (In Case of Emergency). This will help inform ER staff about your medical needs and conditions, ensuring the best medical care possible.

What Determines Emergency Room Wait Times?
The number one reason for your ER wait to be longer is that the medical staff may be treating patients with severe or life threatening conditions. The ER staff has the difficult job of determining who gets treatment first. Being patient is key, since those seen before you may have a more serious (even life-threatening) health condition. Other factors that may effect ER wait times are;

• Community size
• Holidays
• Nearby colleges

How Does a Hospital ER Prioritize Patient Needs?
Different emergencies require different response times and the hospital emergency staff must respond appropriately. Individuals requiring resuscitation receive care first, followed by emergent conditions such as heart attack, overdose, hypothermia and other life-threatening conditions. Next, ER personnel will treat visitors by determining if their care is urgent, semi-urgent or non-urgent. If your condition is semi-urgent or non-urgent, you may need to wait until the medical staff has seen to patients with greater health risks.

University Hospital works hard to keep ER wait times down. Visit our website to find out our current wait time. To find out more about our ICE card please call 1-866-4HCA-DOCS (442-2362.) To learn the location of University Hospital, to find a physician or to schedule an appointment, please call our free Consult-A-Nurse® service at 1-888-256-7728

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