Best all around antiseptic?

[Dawgluver]

I remember a Dr. Oz show where he recommended triple antibiotic cream and a bandaid, the key being keeping the owie moist and not forming a scab. I admit I usually go with letting a wound form a scab.

 

[Alix]

Keeping the wound moist and covered promotes healing. It will heal more quickly and scar less if this is done. Nature's bandaid often leaves scars. We heal from the inside out.

I've used all types of antiseptic, but honestly soap and water is the best thing. We often use peroxide (even though we are now told not to) on things like road rash (in ball games) in order to stop the oozing quickly and get the kids back in the game.

 

[justplainbill]

Late last summer, I had many weeks of trials and tribulations tending to a wound in the calf area of my wife's leg. The wound was the result of a biopsy sample performed by a plastic surgeon.
The care instructions from the surgeon included cleansing three times per day. with a light saline solution, application of an antibiotic salve (mupirocin 2%), prevention of scab formation and the optional use of a dressing. After about 2 weeks of no apparent healing, continued inflammation, and oozing; I switched to cleansing with hydrogen peroxide and noted a slight improvement with respect to oozing and inflammation, but after an additional two weeks did not detect any discernible healing.
After the above described four weeks, it was time to buy another 22 g of Mupirocin. Because it appeared that the hydrogen peroxide was hampering tissue regeneration, over my wife's objections, I discontinued the use of peroxide and used the salve for cleansing the wound. After about a week the area of the wound started to shrink as healthy tissue began to grow around the edges of the wound.
The ~2" X 1" wound was finally fully healed about three months after the date of the surgery.
The Mupirocin (manufactured in India) was supposed to show a 'clinical response' within one week.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I healed Shrek's inch and a half deep x 8 inches long surgical wound with saline and gauze, keeping it moist, in about three weeks at home. It's also important to increase protein and vitamin E when you have a wound that is tough to heal.

I've been healing wounds for almost thirteen years now...

 

[justplainbill]

I healed Shrek's inch and a half deep x 8 inches long surgical wound with saline and gauze, keeping it moist, in about three weeks at home. It's also important to increase protein and vitamin E when you have a wound that is tough to heal.

I've been healing wounds for almost thirteen years now...

Thanks for the feedback. Seems that clean deep wounds can heal better than larger surface area wounds, particularly in the leg area if there are some circulatory problems. My wife's adventure with hot coffee on her upper leg was another trying adventure.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

For a large area and shallow wound I would use the same technique. Cleanse with saline, moisten gauze with saline and wring out almost dry, cover just the wound with the moist gauze so the surrounding skin does not stay wet. Cover with dry gauze and paper tape. Change twice a day.

If the gauze is too wet, it will not wick away the drainage from the wound and allow it to just sit and get infectious. When the dressing comes off, the "moist" gauze should have all the drainage and the wound should be nice and pink/red. I understand the healing problems of areas with poor circulation. Been taking care of venous stasis ulcers for a long time.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

If you can believe the claims, cuts covered with a band-aid heal faster than cuts left uncovered. Similar claim for Neosporin - cuts heal faster when this is used.

I believe the band-aid claim as I have observed the difference myself in a decidedly non-scientific, uncontrolled study. I don't use antiseptics so can't speak to that claim.

My experience is exactly the opposite. My cuts heal more quickly dry and exposed to air, once an initial bleeding, clotting and scab forming has taken place.

I've also observed that cuts heal more quickly when they are allowed to dry and form a scab. Application of a salve keeps the wound moist and scab formation is delayed. However there are good reasons to apply an antiseptic or antibiotic salve, when infection is a concern.

I remember a Dr. Oz show where he recommended triple antibiotic cream and a bandaid, the key being keeping the owie moist and not forming a scab. I admit I usually go with letting a wound form a scab.

Oddly, I have little faith in the advice of Dr. Oz.


To be clear, my comments refer to minor wounds, what we sometimes call "owies." More severe wounds require different treatment than superficial wounds.

For example, my second cut has almost healed, near 99%. It was the less consequential of the two.

My more serious cut (treated with hydrogen peroxide) bled out under the Band-Aid and kept itself fairly moist. Today I scrubbed off the excess blood (on the skin around the wound) and now I observe an exposed clot that has not formed a scab. I'm drying it out in air right now but will apply a Band-Aid before bedtime to keep the wound clean, and to keep debris out of the wound.

I think the best practice for superficial wounds is to clean them off with an antiseptic and then apply a Band-Aid. Once a scab has formed I would just leave it exposed and allow it to heal. If I feel there is substantial potential for accidentally re-injuring the scab then I would protect it with a Band-Aid.

Again, nothing I'm referring to has anything to do with anything other than superficial, small wounds.

I think isopropanol (IPA) is the way to go for these small injuries.

 

[CWS4322]

After treating Isabelle's bites, some of which were tears to the bone, with saline (yes, drains were put in, but 4 days after the incident), I'm a believer in saline. (Of course the first round of treatment was at 1:00 a.m. and I was in a panic). We would flush the wounds daily with saline, pack with sugar, wrap with gauze, and then cover with vet wrap 2x/day. The wounds healed nicely and she didn't need to be on antibiotics.

 

[sparrowgrass]

My brother in law is recovering from a horrible surgical infection, and both the wound care doc and the infectious disease doc said NO PEROXIDE, not ever, never on wounds. Peroxide destroys tissue and interferes with healing.

My minor wound care regime is soap and water, then neosporin and a bandage.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I have the recipes for both Saline and Dakin's solution If anyone is interested. Dakin's is used much more sparingly, only for infected wounds and it is stopped when the infection is gone.

Being able to make my own saline saved Medicare $50 x 3...

 

[Sprout]

When I was in college we talked a fair amount about the moist vs. dry healing debate. Even the medical field can't agree on which is better. I think the reason they can't get a solid answer from research is pretty obvious. Every wound is different and every person's body heals just a little differently. There are definitely certain treatments for certain types of wounds, but for little things it varies from person to person and injury to injury. The only hard-fast rules we learned were, like mentioned above, washing the wound with mild soap and clean water or with saline is the number one with any injury, heat is best to draw out infection, and never use peroxide on an open wound.

Personally, whether or not I use a bandaid or antibiotic ointment/tea tree oil/etc largely depends on where the cut is. If it's in an area that gets a lot of air (a natural bacteria killer) and it's not actively bleeding, I usually put nothing on it. I'll throw a bandaid on anything on my hands if I have to work (as it's required) and if it's fairly deep I'll put some ointment or tea tree oil on it while the bandage is on. At home I leave it exposed. If I get a cut on my foot I typically do ointment and a bandage, since feet come into contact with a lot of bacteria but aren't as frequently and easily washed as hands. The only time I use any kind of disinfectant is if I know there is infection present. With something like a hangnail I'll soak in hot water with betadine or iodine. For an ingrown hair I use a hot, moist washcloth and once it's open, maybe some betadine or tea tree oil followed by antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. I never use alcohol on myself/kids/etc. because frankly, it hurts, and if it's any worse than what I've mentioned above, I'm going to a doctor.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've used all types of antiseptic, but honestly soap and water is the best thing.

+1

 

[Alix]

Greg, you seem to be equating formation of a scab with healing. That is not necessarily true. As I said, healing occurs from the inside out. If you want to minimize scarring moist and covered is better. Read the lovely PF's comments, not TOO wet, but moist enough to promote drainage.

How we got here from antiseptics is kinda funky.

 

[Addie]

Diabetics have entirely different problems with healing. They take longer to heal, and usually have circulatory problems also. Without the nutrients provided by the blood supply, there can be no healing. And the baby toe is the last place for the blood to flow to. It is also the most difficult place to put a bandaid on. That is why it is so important for diabetics to get their feet checked regularly.

I had a hematoma break. That thing would just not stop bleeding. By the time I got it under control, I had a miniscule hole that formed a scab the size of a large grain of ground pepper. That was three weeks ago. The scab is still there, but smaller. I hope it drops off soon. It can't get any smaller.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

My brother in law is recovering from a horrible surgical infection, and both the wound care doc and the infectious disease doc said NO PEROXIDE, not ever, never on wounds. Peroxide destroys tissue and interferes with healing.

From what I've read online and from comments in this topic I think I'm done with hydrogen peroxide.

Are there any other uses for it? Should I just throw it out?

 

[Dawgluver]

From what I've read online and from comments in this topic I think I'm done with hydrogen peroxide.

Are there any other uses for it? Should I just throw it out?

It's great for taking out bloodstains, and is the main ingredient in Oxyclean. I wouldn't throw it out, just wouldn't use it on wounds. Carpets, sheets, clothing, yes.

 

[CWS4322]

It's great for taking out bloodstains, and is the main ingredient in Oxyclean. I wouldn't throw it out, just wouldn't use it on wounds. Carpets, sheets, clothing, yes.

I once had two female dogs that got in a fight as they came in the door. It wasn't really a fight, it was more a spat, but, the one dog nicked the other dog's facial artery. There was blood every where. I loaded the bleeding dog into the van, drove to the vet clinic, realized she didn't have a collar on, slipped one on her (as she leaned on my chest). I walked into the clinic with a mostly white dog covered with blood and blood all over me. Hydrogen peroxide works great to get blood out when it is fresh. Did I mention the van looked as if I had butchered an animal in it? Six hours, 20 bottles of hydrogen peroxide and 6 cans of plain white shaving cream later, you'd have thought the van was brand new. Plain white shaving cream + hydrogen peroxide works great to get fresh blood stains out of upholstery and carpet. Oh--the gal only needed on stitch.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

When I was in college we talked a fair amount about the moist vs. dry healing debate. Even the medical field can't agree on which is better. I think the reason they can't get a solid answer from research is pretty obvious. Every wound is different and every person's body heals just a little differently. There are definitely certain treatments for certain types of wounds, but for little things it varies from person to person and injury to injury.

I guess I can speak only for myself. My experience is that small wounds like cuts and scrapes heal more quickly if I just get out of the way. Once a scab has formed I've found that my fastest healing relies on keeping the scab on and not scraping it until it falls off naturally Once that happens the healing is almost complete.

My only question is regarding clearing the wound of pathogens before the bandage goes on. (1) soap and water, (2) an antiseptic such as IPA, (3) something else.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Greg, you seem to be equating formation of a scab with healing. That is not necessarily true. As I said, healing occurs from the inside out. If you want to minimize scarring moist and covered is better. Read the lovely PF's comments, not TOO wet, but moist enough to promote drainage.

How we got here from antiseptics is kinda funky.

I'm just relating my own personal experience, and I'm referring to cuts that are not cosmetic, like on the face. At some point in life you've cut almost everything that can be cut and whatever scars they are, that's what it is.

I figured a discussion of antiseptics would end exactly here. I wanted to know the best thing I could do for minor cuts.

 

[Sprout]

I once had two female dogs that got in a fight as they came in the door. It wasn't really a fight, it was more a spat, but, the one dog nicked the other dog's facial artery. There was blood every where. I loaded the bleeding dog into the van, drove to the vet clinic, realized she didn't have a collar on, slipped one on her (as she leaned on my chest). I walked into the clinic with a mostly white dog covered with blood and blood all over me. Hydrogen peroxide works great to get blood out when it is fresh. Did I mention the van looked as if I had butchered an animal in it? Six hours, 20 bottles of hydrogen peroxide and 6 cans of plain white shaving cream later, you'd have thought the van was brand new. Plain white shaving cream + hydrogen peroxide works great to get fresh blood stains out of upholstery and carpet. Oh--the gal only needed on stitch.

Bravo to you for keeping a cool head! All that blood must have been scary!