How do you treat a cut foot with glass?

Answer 1

1. Can you control the bleeding? 2. Has the glass possibly penetrated below the dermis and is there a chance that it will interfere with (or cut) processes below the skin? 3. Are you sure the patient won't be needing sutures (you can't get sutures after 12 hours or so, so you have to decide relatively soon). 4. CAN you remove the glass? (e.g., is it too deep, too powdery, etc.). If the answer is NO to any of these, off to the ER you go. Even a YES to all doesn't make this easy. Unless you have topical or local injectable painkillers, individually picking shards of glass out of a foot takes a long, painful time. While glass may show up well on an X-ray (for instance, Stolichniya uses lead as a part of their glass-making process, so shards from their bottles show up Great on an Xray), you won't know where all the glass is. Note that if the victim needs sutures, you have a 10-12 hour window to put them in. After this time, sutures won't work. So if there's any chance they'll need sutures, go to the ER. === === -- Clean the area as well as you can with sterile water or, better yet, sterile saline. Use a LOT. The idea is to clean without hurting the patient, cutting anything else, or pressing the glass in deeper.

-- Control the bleeding with gentle direct pressure of sterile gauze.

-- Sanitize all metal instruments by holding them in a flame for 20 seconds -- then make sure they cool down. Swab them with alcohol (AWAY from the flame).

-- Scrub the entire, uninjured parts of the foot (up to the ankle) very well -- use warm water and soap. Once clean, don't touch them again. Paint with Betadyne around the wound (we're creating a sterile field).

-- Lay down a sterile cloth to make a good working surface.

-- Light the area super-well. Get a couple of flashlights too for spot illumination. Also get very strong glasses and/or magnifying glasses. Get friends to help. (Remember the flashlights and glasses cannot be sterilized well, so you can't touch them.)

-- Wash your hands super-thoroughly to above the glove level, and then use a disinfectant.

-- Air-dry your hands, then don latex or surgical gloves. Don't touch the sterile parts of the gloves (e.g., only the rims).

-- Sponge blood as necessary with sterile gauze.

-- Use tweezers and needles (sterilized) to find and pull out the glass. Keep the shards off to the side of the sterile field.

-- Go slowly and methodically. Clean the obvious shards first, then carefully go over the entire area that is involved, looking for missed pieces.

-- Ask the patient if they need a rest. If they do, preserve the sterile field.

-- At the end, check once more, sponge any blood, and use a Betadyne, or hydrogen peroxide/Betadyne mixture.

-- Put sterile pads on the wound and then re-bandage. Check that it's not too tight (make sure you can get pedal pulse, toes aren't turning colors, etc.

-- Re-check and re-bandage daily or every two days.

-- Examine if there's a change in condition.

NOTHING NON-STERILE EVER TOUCHES ANYTHING INSIDE THE STERILE FIELD.

Answer 2

If you can wash wound with sterile water. Apply a loose covering and go along to your nearest AE at your local hospital without delay.

If a cut results in a lot of bleeding, apply pressure to the wound site to stop bleeding. When you get to A&E they might flush your wound again (normally sterile water or iodene) to make sure it's free of foreign objects (glass), if they are in doubt you will be sent for an X-ray.

Never leave a wound untreated after a cut by glass, always seek medical advice.

Answer 3

first put yo u foot in water keep it in the water then pull it out

Answer 4

first you sit down.if it is a small piece use tweezers to remove it but if its a large piece that is causing large amount of bleeding go to the emergency room

Answer 5

you should run it in water

and wipe of f the blood with a tissue

then apply a bandaid

If you mean if it REALLY get cuts off rush to the hospital as fast as you can!

Answer 6

Go to the emergency room unless it is a small clearly visible sliver that you are sure is all in one piece. Then you could carefully remove it and clean and bandage the wound.

Answer 7

To treat a foot that has been cut with glass you need to wash it with clean water. Next, pour peroxide over it. Lastly, make sure all the class has been removed and cover with a Band-Aid.

Answer 8

Keep pressure on it with your hand or a cloth to stop the bleeding. Hopefully you never need to do this!

Answer 9

Either the Emergency Room or Urgent Care might be a good idea.