Lacerations

A laceration, or break in your skin, may be more serious than it looks at first glance. Even a fairly mild laceration can grow infected if you don’t get proper care. Board-certified family medicine physician Devon Daney, MD, and the compassionate team at Aztec Urgent Care offer prompt diagnosis and immediate laceration care. Call the office in Aztec, New Mexico, book an appointment online, or walk in to receive help with lacerations.

What are lacerations?

A laceration is a wound in which your skin’s torn by some type of sharp object, like a shard of glass. Lacerations can get contaminated with debris or bacteria, or they might require treatment to heal properly and reduce the risk of infection. 

In most cases, lacerations are uneven or jagged looking. They can appear fine soon after you get it because they may bleed a lot and then stop bleeding fairly quickly. However, lacerations that don’t stop bleeding can be a sign of a more severe problem.

How are lacerations diagnosed?

Lacerations have their own unique characteristics and are quite different from other skin wounds like punctures and abrasions. A puncture wound is generally round and often doesn’t bleed very much. An abrasion means that your skin’s scraped away, but with lacerations, there’s no actual skin loss. 

To diagnose a laceration, your provider reviews your symptoms and examines the site of the injury. They let you know if medical intervention is necessary. 

If you have a deep laceration, stitches might be necessary to reduce bleeding, ensure your wound heals, and minimize scarring. All types of skin wounds can be serious if you don’t look after them with care.

How are lacerations treated?

When you get a laceration, the first step is to use a clean cloth and apply light pressure to stop the bleeding as soon as you can. 

If you need further assistance, reach out to Aztec Urgent Care right away and arrange your visit or simply walk in. Weekend visits are also available.

Your provider carefully cleans and disinfects your laceration and evaluates the level of damage. Depending on your depth of the laceration, you might need sutures to keep it safely closed. To prevent infection, your provider may prescribe oral or topical antibiotics. They dress your laceration and bandage it for protection. You also learn laceration tips for at-home care. 

By responding quickly when you have a laceration, you can protect your skin and even your whole body from a serious infection. 

To get the help you need for lacerations, call Aztec Urgent Care, book an appointment online, or walk in the clinic.