• Online Scheduling | Careers

Northwest Health (AR)
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
        • Behavioral Health
        • Breast Care
        • Cancer Care
        • Diabetes Care
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Digestive Health
        • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
        • Emergency Services
        • Eye Care
        • Family Medicine
        • Geriatric Services
        • Gynecology
        • Heart Care
        • Infectious Disease Care
        • Laboratory Services
        • Maternity Care
        • Neurology
        • Neonatal Intensive Care
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Pain Management
        • Pharmacy
        • Podiatry
        • Pulmonology Care
        • Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy
        • Robotic Surgery
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Sports Medicine
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Urgent Care
        • Urology
        • Vascular Center
        • Women's Health
        • Wound Care
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Health Library
              • MDSave
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Guide
              • Patient Portal
              • Pre-surgical Information
              • Request Medical Records
              • Spiritual Care
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Northwest Physicians Group
                  • Emergency Departments
                  • Urgent Care
                  • Other Locations
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Board of Trustees
                    • Careers
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Community Outreach
                    • Community Quality Alliance
                    • Contact Us
                    • Leadership
                    • Live Healthy Newsletter
                    • Newsroom
                    • Patient Testimonials
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Speaker Requests
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • Online Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Online Class Registration
                      • Contact
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        2 Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/Patients & Visitors/Health Library/Caring For Cuts, Scrapes and Scratches

                      Refine Results

                      About Us
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      DAISY Award Nominations
                      Events
                      Financial Information
                      Billing & Insurance
                      Billing & Registration FAQ
                      Eligibility Services
                      Financial Assistance Program
                      Medicare
                      Online Bill Pay
                      Patient Protections Against Surprise Billing
                      Price Information
                      Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate
                      Health Library
                      MDSave
                      Online Scheduling
                      Online Check-In FAQ
                      Patient Guide
                      Patient Portal
                      Bentonville
                      Physicians' Specialty
                      Siloam Springs
                      Springdale
                      Willow Creek
                      Pre-surgical Information
                      Request Medical Records
                      Spiritual Care
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • Northwest Health Expands Orthopedic Care with Addition of Dr. Ron Schechter

                        05.19.2025

                      • Family Medicine Provider Nettie Kinsey, FNP-BC, Joins Northwest Health

                        05.12.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Caring For Cuts, Scrapes and Scratches

                      Whether you suffer a cut, scratch or other small wound, there are three basic steps for at-home treatment.

                      1. Stop the bleeding. Use firm pressure to apply a cloth or bandage on the minor wound for 20 to 30 minutes.
                      2. Clean the injury with cool, running water. Use soap to clean the skin around the wound (not the wound itself ). If you see splinters, gravel or other small objects in the laceration, rinse them gently away or use tweezers to remove.
                      3. Spread an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment onto the wound.

                      Air can help wounds dry out and promote healing. However, some cuts or scrapes are in places that can get dirty or get a lot of use — such as a knee or fingertip. To protect these areas, or for large wounds, cover with an adhesive bandage or sterile gauze and tape. Change bandages each day.

                      To build your own first-aid kit for minor lacerations, the American Red Cross recommends you include:

                      • absorbent dressings and adhesive cloth tape
                      • adhesive bandages
                      • antibiotic ointment
                      • antiseptic wipes
                      • bandage rolls
                      • scissors
                      • sterile gauze pads
                      • tweezers

                      Some lacerations require attention from a nurse or doctor. See your doctor or visit the ER right away if:

                      • The laceration does not stop bleeding after 20 to 30 minutes
                      • You cannot remove all dirt or debris from the cut or scrape
                      • You cannot close the edges of the cut
                      • You develop signs of an infection, such as a fever or red streaking, inflammation, or discharge around the wound
                      • You have a puncture or very deep wound

                      Be prepared for minor emergencies. Visit redcross.org to find out if first-aid courses are available in your community.

                      Want More Health Tips?

                      Sign up for our e-newsletter, Live Healthy, to receive a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                      Back

                      Affiliated Hospitals

                      • Northwest Health Physicians' Specialty Hospital
                      • Northwest Medical Center - Bentonville
                      • Northwest Medical Center - Springdale
                      • Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
                      • Willow Creek Women's Hospital
                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
                      • Behavioral Health
                      • Breast Care
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Diabetes Care
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Eye Care
                      • Family Medicine
                      • Geriatric Services
                      • Gynecology
                      • Heart Care
                      • Infectious Disease Care
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Neurology
                      • Neonatal Intensive Care
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Pain Management
                      • Pharmacy
                      • Podiatry
                      • Pulmonology Care
                      • Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy
                      • Robotic Surgery
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Sports Medicine
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urgent Care
                      • Urology
                      • Vascular Center
                      • Women's Health
                      • Wound Care

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Health Library
                      • MDSave
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Guide
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Pre-surgical Information
                      • Request Medical Records
                      • Spiritual Care

                      About Us

                      • Board of Trustees
                      • Careers
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Community Outreach
                      • Community Quality Alliance
                      • Contact Us
                      • Leadership
                      • Live Healthy Newsletter
                      • Newsroom
                      • Patient Testimonials
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Speaker Requests
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...