Minor Injuries Overview

Children's days are filled with running, jumping, bicycling, sports, and other fun activities that keep them active and on the go from morning until night. Along with the fun comes an occasional cut, bruise, or tumble. Luckily, most of these injuries are not serious. They can be handled with some simple first-aid treatment at home. However, there are times when a doctor's care is needed.

Specific treatment for skin wounds and injuries will be determined by your child's doctor. In general, contact your child's doctor for any skin injury that is:

• Bleeding heavily and does not stop after 5 minutes of direct pressure.

• Deep, or longer than 1/2 inch.

• Located close to the eye.

• A large cut on the face.

• Caused by a puncture wound or dirty or rusty object.

• Embedded with debris, such as dirt, stones, or gravel.

• Ragged or has separated edges.

• Caused by an animal or human bite.

• Extremely painful.

• Causing numbness of the skin, or inability to move a body part, such as a finger and or toe.

• Showing signs of infection, such as fever, warmth, redness, swelling, or fluid leaking at the site of the injury.

• Showing red streaks on the skin around the wound, or red streaks going up your child's arm or leg.

• Gaping open with visible dark red muscle or yellowish fat, even if it is small. This type of cut will need to be closed.

Also, contact your child's doctor if:

• Your child has not had a tetanus vaccine within the past 5 years, or if you are unsure when your child's last tetanus shot was given.

• You are concerned about the wound or have any questions.