From the Guidelines
Abrasions and healing lacerations should be covered with an occlusive dressing to promote wound healing, as recommended by the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1. The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2024, suggests that covering clean superficial wounds and abrasions with an occlusive dressing is reasonable to promote wound healing 1. This approach helps prevent infection, maintains moisture that speeds healing, reduces scarring, and protects against further trauma. Some key points to consider when covering abrasions and healing lacerations include:
- Thoroughly irrigating the wound with running tap water or sterile saline solutions before covering it 1
- Using an occlusive dressing, such as film, petrolatum, hydrogel, or cellulose/collagen dressings, which result in better wound healing than dry dressings 1
- Avoiding the use of antibiotic or antibacterial dressings, as they do not improve wound healing or decrease infection rates in clean wounds 1
- Changing the dressing daily or whenever it becomes wet or dirty to maintain a clean and moist environment that promotes healing
- Considering the removal of the dressing and inspecting the wound if signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, foul-smelling wound drainage, increased pain, or fever, develop 1
From the Research
Wound Management
- The primary goal of wound management is to achieve a functional closure with minimal scarring, and preventing infection is crucial to facilitate the healing process 2.
- Most simple, uncomplicated wounds do not need systemic antibiotics but benefit from the use of topical antibiotics, such as triple-antibiotic ointment (TAO) 3.
Treatment of Abrasions and Lacerations
- Abrasions can be treated with thorough irrigation, a topical antibacterial agent, and an appropriate dressing 4.
- A single application of a low-cost cyanoacrylate-based liquid adhesive can be a safe and effective treatment for superficial nonbleeding abrasions and class I and II skin tears, eliminating the need for topical antibiotics and dressings 5.
- Laceration treatment includes anesthesia use, wound cleaning, suturing under sterile conditions, application of an appropriate dressing, and timely follow-up 4.
Use of Topical Antibiotics and Dressings
- Topical triple-antibiotic ointment can minimize scarring in dermabrasion wounds and is superior to simple gauze-type dressing alone in minimizing scarring 6.
- TAO is active against common disease-causing pathogens found in wounds and on the skin, and resistance to TAO does not develop readily 3.
- The use of topical antibiotics, such as TAO, can help reduce infection risk and promote healing, but they are not a substitute for good local wound care, including irrigation and surgical débridement 2.