Hello, dear sir and madam:

After hospital wound treatment and hygiene education, you have learned to self-care for wounds. In order to enable you to perform wound self-care more correctly at home, it is recommended that you prepare the following supplies:

□ Physiological saline 500 cc 1 ~ 2 cans

□ Several packs of sterile cotton swabs

□ Sterile gauze: 2 x 2 inches / 3 x 3 inches few packs

□ 1 roll of breathable paper glue

□ Artificial leather

Treating Lacerations

• The wound should be changed according to the doctor's instructions, and hands should be washed before and after changing the dressing.
• When the old gauze sticks to the wound, it can be softened with saline and removed.
• After the wound is stitched, please keep the wound clean and avoid getting wet or soaked in water.
• Watch out whether the suture of the wound is split, infected or bleeding again.
• The wound at the joint should be kept as straight as possible to prevent the wound from splitting during activities.
• Normal wound secretions are thin and watery and should be cleaned when changing dressings.
• It is recommended to use 0.9% normal saline to clean and disinfect wounds and apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
• Disinfection of the wound must be centered on the wound. Use a cotton swab to disinfect in a concentric circle from the inside to the outside, and do not wipe back and forth.
• If the following situations may be caused by wound infection, please return to the hospital for medical treatment immediately:
• Red, swollen, hot and painful wound
• Wound foul smell or pus-like discharge
• Fever, chills
• The tissues are prone to swelling after injury. Ice compress and elevate the injured area to reduce swelling.
• It is recommended to exercise properly, eat more protein diet and avoid smoking and stimulating diet to promote wound healing and prevent secondary injuries.

When to remove stitches

The time for wound suture removal will vary depending on the wound site under the assessment of the doctor. The general recommendations are as follows:

• Face: 3 to 5 days
• Scalp: 7 to 10 days
• Torso: 7 to 10 days
• Upper and lower limbs: 10 to 14 days
• Joints: about 14 days

However, the doctor may make an appointment for you before the stitches are removed to assess the wound healing and whether there is infection.

Six Steps to Dressing for Wounds

• Wash hands before changing dressing
• Remove the gauze to see the wound
• Clean and disinfect
• Apply ointment to prevent infection
• Cover the gauze firmly
• Wash your hands after changing the dressing
• If you have any questions after leaving the hospital, please use the emergency 24-hour consultation service phone：
• Medical consultation telephone: (04) 22052121 ext. 15150 or 15151
• Drug consultation telephone: (04) 22052121 ext. 15124
• Pediatric medical consultation telephone: (04) 22052121 ext. 15158