Puncture Wounds: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Minor puncture wounds can be treated effectively at home. If you do not have an increased high risk of infection, you do not have other injuries, and you do not need treatment by a doctor or a tetanus shot, you can treat a puncture wound at home. Home treatment can prevent infection and promote healing.

Remove object

• Make sure the object causing the wound is not still in the wound. Check to see if the object is intact and a piece has not broken off in the wound.
• Try to remove the object that caused the wound if it is small and you can see it. If you have a splinter, try using cellophane tape before using clean tweezers or a needle. Simply put the tape over the splinter, then pull the tape off. The splinter usually sticks to the tape and is removed painlessly and easily. Be careful, and do not push the object farther into the wound. For splinter removal, see removing splinters. Do not wet the splinter.

Stop the bleeding

• Allow the wound to bleed freely for up to 5 minutes to clean itself out, unless there has been a lot of blood loss or blood is squirting out of the wound.
• Stop the bleeding with direct pressure to the wound. For more information, see how to stop bleeding .
  • Mild bleeding can almost always be stopped within 15 minutes by applying direct pressure to the wound.
  • Moderate bleeding can usually be slowed or stopped by applying steady, direct pressure to the wound for 15 minutes.
  • Severe bleeding cannot be slowed or stopped by applying steady, direct pressure to the wound for 15 minutes.

After you have stopped the bleeding, use the Check Your Symptoms section of this topic to determine if and when you need to see your doctor.

Clean the wound

Clean the wound as soon as possible to reduce the chance of infection, scarring, and tattooing of the skin from dirt left in the wound. (If dirt or other debris is not removed from a puncture wound, the new skin will heal over it. The dirt can then be seen through the skin and may look like a tattoo.)

• Wash the wound for 5 minutes with large amounts of cool water and soap (mild dishwashing soap, such as Ivory, works well). For more information, see how to clean a wound. Some nonprescription products are available for wound cleaning that numb the area so cleaning does not hurt as much. Be sure to read the product label for correct use.
• Do not use rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or mercurochrome, which can harm the tissue and slow healing.

Consider applying a bandage

Most puncture wounds heal well and do not need a bandage. You may need to protect the puncture wound from dirt and irritation. It is important to clean the wound thoroughly before bandaging it to reduce the risk of infection occurring under the bandage. For more information, see how to bandage a wound.

Tetanus

• Determine whether you need a tetanus shot.
• You may have a localized reaction to a tetanus shot. Symptoms include warmth, swelling, and redness at the injection site. A fever of up to may occur. Home treatment can help reduce the discomfort.

Pain relief

An ice or cold pack may help reduce swelling and bruising. See ice and cold packs. Never apply ice directly to a wound or the skin. This could cause tissue damage.

Elevate the injured area on pillows while applying ice and anytime you are sitting or lying down. Try to keep the area at or above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.

Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment

Use the Check Your Symptoms section of this topic to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment:

• Signs of infection
• Signs of loss of function
• Signs of decreased blood flow
• Pain gets worse.
• The wound does not heal.
• Symptoms become more severe or more frequent.

Last updated:	June 10, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer