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Guide to Proper Wound Care in Malaysia: Steps to Prevent Scarring and Infection

Caring for a wound is of utmost importance for a person’s well-being. No matter whether you got the wound from a surgical incision or accident, properly caring for your wound can help prevent scarring or keep it to the minimum as well as prevent dangerous infections. Let’s understand more about wound care in this article.


Understanding Wounds

A wound is a physical injury on your body that can result from trauma or surgical procedures. Wounds are classified in various ways, including the number of tissues penetrated and where they are located.

Some of the most common types of wounds are:

  • Closed
  • Open
  • Clean
  • Contaminated
  • Penetrating
  • Non-penetrating
  • External
  • Internal

Wounds which have exposed underlying tissues or organs are termed open wounds. They are usually considered contaminated since they might have dirt and debris in them. Such a kind of wound often results from a fall or a car accident.

Wounds from stabs or cuts are penetrating wounds. They are usually considered open. Bruises and abrasions are common examples of non-penetrating wounds. Irrespective of what kind of wound you have, knowing how to care for it for proper wound healing is crucial.


Why is Wound Care Important?

There are two main risks of improper wound care – infection and scarring.

We often ignore a small open wound thinking that it will probably heal on its own. But that doesn’t happen always. Untreated wounds can lead to several issues, the foremost being infection. Bacteria can enter the body through untreated open wounds, make it a home and start to multiply. Even before you realise it, a small infection can lead to a major issue.

An infected wound can lead to issues such as fever, pus formation, foul smell, swelling and redness. It can also lead to a serious condition known as sepsis when the infection becomes widespread and enters your bloodstream. This is a serious condition which may require hospitalisation. This is why wound infection prevention takes the central stage no matter what kind of wound you have or how small it is.

Another significant side effect of improper wound care is scarring. When your skin is injured due to an accident or surgery, your body starts to repair the wound automatically. Skin healing can lead to the formation of a scar. Not to worry, it is a part of the natural wound healing process. However, the appearance of the scar is dependent on how well the wound heals, which is an outcome of proper wound care. Hence to prevent wound scarring or reduce scars, caring for the wound is very important.

General Wound Care Tips

Primarily, there are three wound care steps:

  • Cleaning the wound thoroughly with clean water and soap. This can also help prevent wound infection.
  • Next, place a bandage over the wound to keep it dry and clean. This reduces the chance of infection and also transmitting the infection to others.
  • If the wound is significantly large, or the wound becomes red or warm to touch or there’s debris or pus in the wound, it is better to take the help of a professional healthcare provider rather than caring for the wound yourself.

Here are a few more wound-healing tips that you should keep in mind:

  • A little bit of blood helps as blood can clean the wound. So don’t worry if the wound bleeds a little when you get it in the first place.
  • Clean scrapes and cuts gently. First, soothe and clean the wound with room temperature water and then gently wash it with a soap. Avoid irritating soaps that contain alcohol, iodine or hydrogen peroxide. If there are pebbles in the wound, use alcohol-sterilised tweezers to remove those.
  • Apply an antibiotic cream on the wound. This keeps the wound moist and helps in infection prevention in Malaysia.
  • Finally, cover the cut or scrape with a bandage. Changing the bandage daily will help you keep the wound clean while it heals.
  • And most importantly, if you have any doubt in any step such as how to clean a wound, visit a hospital emergency or consult an at-home wound care nurse to get professional treatment.

All the above steps not only help in infection prevention but in scar prevention as well. Additionally, for scar prevention, you can use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF30 or higher once the wound has healed. This may help reduce the discolouration of the wound and help it to heal faster.


Caring for a Surgical Wound

Let’s talk about surgical wounds as they require additional care for healing. All surgical wounds will have some kind of dressing which keeps the wound clean and dry while it heals. This dressing will be changed regularly as deemed fit by your healthcare provider.

Caring for a surgical wound requires more caution. Your healthcare provider will provide you with exact guidelines on do’s and don’ts of surgical wound care, which may include:

  • Washing your hands thoroughly before and after touching your incisions.
  • Inspecting your wound regularly for signs of wound infection such as pus, swelling or colour changes.
  • Keep an eye on whether the incision is bleeding.
  • Avoid tight clothing which may rub on your incisions.
  • Avoid strenuous activities such as heavy household work, running, strength training and others, which can interfere with healing.
  • Avoid scratching your wounds, even though the incision may feel itchy.
  • Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on how to take a bath and if it is allowed at all.

Professional Wound-Care with TrueCare2U

Wound care, especially surgical wound care, is a specialised job which may require additional expertise. While you are recovering from a wound, visiting the doctor’s clinic may not be feasible. That’s why we have good news for you! You can book the services of a professional wound care nurse from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is download the TrueCare2U app, one of Malaysia’s leading home wound care services, and choose the right service. An experienced nurse will visit your home at your preferred time and frequency to help you take care of your wound. This will help your wound recover properly.

Download the TrueCare2U app today to find wound care services and a range of other at-home medical services for all your needs.



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