Animal bites: minor wound care?

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Multiple Choice

Animal bites: minor wound care?

The key action is to flush the wound with clean, running water. This directly removes dirt, bacteria, and saliva from the bite, which lowers the risk of infection. If possible, wash for several minutes and you can use soap to help, but avoid vigorous scrubbing. After cleansing, pat the area dry with a clean cloth and cover with a sterile dressing. If there’s bleeding, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth until it stops. Don’t try to capture or approach the animal—that can provoke another bite and doesn’t help the wound. You’d seek medical care if the bite is deep, keeps bleeding, shows signs of infection, or if the animal’s rabies risk is unknown (such as wild, stray, or unfamiliar animals); but for minor wound care, washing with clean running water is the best first step.

The key action is to flush the wound with clean, running water. This directly removes dirt, bacteria, and saliva from the bite, which lowers the risk of infection. If possible, wash for several minutes and you can use soap to help, but avoid vigorous scrubbing. After cleansing, pat the area dry with a clean cloth and cover with a sterile dressing. If there’s bleeding, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth until it stops. Don’t try to capture or approach the animal—that can provoke another bite and doesn’t help the wound. You’d seek medical care if the bite is deep, keeps bleeding, shows signs of infection, or if the animal’s rabies risk is unknown (such as wild, stray, or unfamiliar animals); but for minor wound care, washing with clean running water is the best first step.

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