Covering the basics is as easy as 1-2-3

With back-to-school season on the horizon parents will be shifting focus from summer activities to school routines. For children, back-to-school is synonymous with books and backpacks as well as playgrounds and minor league sports. And these carefree activities will inevitably result in minor cuts and scrapes that will require a little TLC from mom or dad.

Fall is an ideal time for parents to become savvy about proper wound care treatment. While most minor injuries typically don't require a trip to the emergency room, proper care is essential to avoid infection and other complications.

When it comes to correct treatment, most parents think they have all the facts. But a recent survey uncovered the truth – most don’t know the right way to tend to a minor wound. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of Canadians think airing out a cut or scrape speeds up the healing process. Despite popular belief, allowing a wound to scab actually impedes healing by creating a barrier between healthy skin cells.

Health professionals agree that quick and effective minor wound treatment is as easy as "CTC": clean the wound with warm soapy water, treat it with a topical antibiotic ointment, such as Polysporin®, and cover it with a bandage until the wound has completely healed.

When a wound is left uncovered, exposed to dirt or harmful bacteria, the risk of infection can increase. Surprisingly, only 19 per cent of Canadian parents know that keeping their child's wound covered until it has completely healed is the best treatment option.

In fact, recent studies have shown that a combined treatment of applying a topical antibiotic, such as Polysporin, and covering the wound with a Band-Aid® brand bandage will help a minor wound heal four days faster than when a bandage alone is utilized.

Healing Cuts and Scrapes with Three Easy Steps:

1. CLEAN – Cleaning a cut or scrape is the first step in infection defence. Any loose dirt or debris left in a cut or scrape can cause infection. Warm, soapy water will remove dirt and debris from the cut and minimize bacteria that can cause infection.

2. TREAT – Topical antibiotics, such as Polysporin, keep the wound moist and form a protective coating that prevents infection and helps to speed up the healing process.

3. COVER – A bandage will protect the cut and scrape from dirt and debris during the healing process and prevent it from re-injury. The bandage should be changed every day to keep the area clean.

Minor vs. major: How to tell

Minor: Clean, Treat, Cover
• The bleeding stops fairly quickly and doesn't require prolonged pressure
• After cleaning, the edges of the wound don't gape open
• The skin surrounding the wound is smooth
• The wound is clearly on the surface of the skin and does not have any depth

Major: Time for stitches
• It is difficult to stop the bleeding even after applying pressure over a prolonged period of time
• The cut gapes open and yellow, globular material is visible (subcutaneous fat)
• The skin around the wound is jagged
• If a cut looks serious do not delay treatment, as major wounds left more than 24 hours cannot be stitched