Water for Wounds

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I first heard that you shouldn't use HP back in the 1970's when I worked in an ER. I understand the theory behind why you shouldn't use it. But, in the last 30 years I have experimented with many different ways of treating wounds on myself. In practice, HP has always made the wound heal faster and with less risk of infection. I am always open to a better way. But, until I can see results in practice that there is a better way, I will continue to use HP.

There may be situations where there are large open wounds, and the patient is treated with antibiotics, HP may not be the best solutions. But, those solutions require a physician. For simple wounds treated by the patient without antibiotics, I still think HP is better.

I have also used liquid bandage for small cuts on my hands. This contains alcohol and seals the wound. Seems to work good on certain types of skin and wounds. But, it does seem to have a short shelf life.
 
Craig said:
When I was a kid my father repeatedly told my bother and me to pee on a wound if we were unable to get treatment quickly. I think it was in the US Army Field Manual from his WWII days.

Never did try that one tho.
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IIRC we were told the same in the outdoors medicine course that I mentioned earlier. Urine is sterile unless one has a bladder or kidney infection.

Never tried it either...

Doug
 
Mikie said:
I have also used liquid bandage for small cuts on my hands.
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I use it on the painful cracks on my fingers - thumbs mostly - I get in cold weather. Stings like crazy for about 15 seconds - then, relief. Usually have to reapply it about every 24 hours till it heals. Good stuff.
 
Kevin Rooney said:
Yup, my sentiments exactly.

These threads rarely change anyone's mind. People continue to do what has worked for them in the past.
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My 2 cents...My first trip to Nevada, gawking at the sights in the desert, I went flying and scraped most of the skin off the outside of my lower leg. A superficial infection set in and no amount of washing, ointment, wrapping, unwrapping helped for about 10 days. When I got home, I started swabbing with peroxide, and I was healing within 2 days. I swear by it if the infection is not deep and cellulitis not an issue.
 
While everyone here seems to think this is old news, apparently the American people, (or perhaps the pharmacists), have not gotten the message.

I just went to a large pharmacy chain a few days ago, and there were at least a dozen large bottles of Peroxide prominently displayed right in front of the counter. And considering how cheap the stuff is, I can't imagine they make a lot of money selling it.
 
Tom Rankin said:
While everyone here seems to think this is old news, apparently the American people, (or perhaps the pharmacists), have not gotten the message.

I just went to a large pharmacy chain a few days ago, and there were at least a dozen large bottles of Peroxide prominently displayed right in front of the counter. And considering how cheap the stuff is, I can't imagine they make a lot of money selling it.
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More than they do selling soap and water...

Doug
 
Tom Rankin said:
I just went to a large pharmacy chain a few days ago, and there were at least a dozen large bottles of Peroxide prominently displayed right in front of the counter. And considering how cheap the stuff is, I can't imagine they make a lot of money selling it.
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A lot of tweakers cooking at home in the area?
 
As an individual you have a right to use any solution you wish to clean a wound. However, as a WFR I do not wish to add any additional questions to my AMPLE with respect to which cleaning solution one would prefer.
 
Tom Rankin said:
While everyone here seems to think this is old news, apparently the American people, (or perhaps the pharmacists), have not gotten the message.

I just went to a large pharmacy chain a few days ago, and there were at least a dozen large bottles of Peroxide prominently displayed right in front of the counter. And considering how cheap the stuff is, I can't imagine they make a lot of money selling it.
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It's good for disolving ear wax. Sounds funny when it's in there and can be a little surprising putting it in your ear at room temperature. I've used it on bad mosquito bites and irritation on my lower legs too. I like the way it bubbles. Haven't noticed any scaring.
 
Stash said:
At a buck or more a bottle for the fancy stuff I dunno about that. Maybe it's best to use "natural spring water" for wound care.
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Some customers will probably be looking for it--no point in disappointing them. It also promotes the impression that one needs to go to the drug store for all of one's health needs. And you might buy something else while you are there.

If there is adequate demand (with or without referral by a pharmacist), it is worth carrying...

Doug
 
Little Rickie said:
It's good for disolving ear wax. Sounds funny when it's in there and can be a little surprising putting it in your ear at room temperature. I've used it on bad mosquito bites and irritation on my lower legs too. I like the way it bubbles. Haven't noticed any scaring.
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Never tried it for ear wax, but do use it on regularly on my legs if I've been bushwhacking thru thorny/prickly areas wearing shorts. Desert scrub is notoriously sharp, and have found after lots of experience that simply showering with soap and water after such a hike doesn't always prevent mild infection from the scratches. So, after showering, I'll swab the scratches with peroxide and let them air dry. Scratches which otherwise would have taken 2 weeks to heal are often mostly gone in 4 or 5 days. There's no visible scarring, either.

YMMV.

(This thread reminds me of a sentence I read recently, to the effect "some people display an instinctive obedience to authority". Guess where I fall on that one ...)

DougPaul said:
And you might buy something else while you are there.
Doug
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Like motor oil, potato chips or a quart of milk. Some drug stores even sell clothing ...
 
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Kevin Rooney said:
Never tried it for ear wax, but do use it on regularly on my legs if I've been bushwhacking thru thorny/prickly areas wearing shorts. Desert scrub is notoriously sharp, and have found after lots of experience that simply showering with soap and water after such a hike doesn't always prevent mild infection from the scratches. So, after showering, I'll swab the scratches with peroxide and let them air dry. Scratches which otherwise would have taken 2 weeks to heal are often mostly gone in 4 or 5 days. There's no visible scarring, either.
...
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Aloe is nice too for irrataion after wash and sterilize if the scratches are not deep.
 
Hmmm. I've always used generous amounts of H202 on wounds, along with a good scrubbing with an old tooth-brush. If it's still bleeding, a match or a lighter will cauterize the wound nicely.

So it may scar a little, but chicks dig scars, right?
 
Craig said:
When I was a kid my father repeatedly told my bother and me to pee on a wound if we were unable to get treatment quickly. I think it was in the US Army Field Manual from his WWII days.
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DougPaul said:
IIRC we were told the same in the outdoors medicine course that I mentioned earlier. Urine is sterile unless one has a bladder or kidney infection.
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A ski patroller I knew heard that, and passed it on to his boss who was also director of first aid for the local Red Cross. The answer that came back was that part of emergency care was instilling confidence in the patient, which peeing on them wasn't likely to do even if it worked long-term.
 
RoySwkr said:
A ski patroller I knew heard that, and passed it on to his boss who was also director of first aid for the local Red Cross. The answer that came back was that part of emergency care was instilling confidence in the patient, which peeing on them wasn't likely to do even if it worked long-term.
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It certainly isn't first choice or a front country (where most ski patrollers work) technique... I'd view it as a last resort for use far from traditional help.

Doug
 
erugs said:
Consumer Reports has just published a study showing that hydrogen peroxide is not a good treatment for cuts, that flushing with water is preferable.

I've also learned that slathering something like Neosporin on a cut holds germs into the wound, so isn't a good idea either.
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Hydrogen peroxide and iodine can cause minor tissue destruction, and isn't the first choice in most wound care applications, but they do have their place. Soap and water to thoroughly wash out the wound is the most recommended method, and one of the easiest and cheapest. In practice, most people who do use hydrogen peroxide use it in small quantities on small wounds that won't really see any effect, and they have access to water and if they don't rinse off then, they will when they bathe (assuming they bathe?).

Neosporin or a polysporin ointment is actually very good for larger wounds. Not only do they add some antibiotic properties, but the ointment keeps the skin moist, which helps in wound healing. Skin actually heals best in a moist environment. However, you do have to keep the wound clean, so if you do apply a neosporin ointment, it's best to wash it 1-2 times/day with soap and water, and apply neosporin and then a dressing over it.

I found this article which also agrees with you, from a medical journal, alludes to Hydrogen Peroxide causing scarring (or preventing non-scarring body function):

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...072.x/abstract
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I think you may have misinterpreted the article some. Hydrogen peroxide and other "super oxides" are produced by some of our cells in our body, and the article alludes to hydrogen peroxide as involved in scar formation, but not at the concentration that is in a bottle of hydrogen peroxide at the drug store. However, I may also be wrong as I do not have access to the entire article and cannot read their methods.

What about licking the wound (or having a dog do it)? For example, if fresh water was unavailable on a trail.
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Actually, having your dog lick the wound is not the best idea. A dog's mouth contains numerous bacteria that can infect a wound and make it worse.

if you have a open wound you need to KILL the bacteria, you want to use just water be my guest. Im not buying into these new "studies" Ill stick to what works.
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I don't think these studies are all that "new." I think they've been known for quite awhile, but it is easy to distribute information nowadays, and the information may get more attention or emphasized in a different way to make it more alluring.

Also, you actually do not need to kill all the bacteria in the wound, as the skin is populated with tons of bacteria and it is impossible to kill all the bacteria and normal skin flora that lives on the skin. However, you do need to try to prevent an infection by keeping it as clean as possible, and to provide good wound care daily. Ordinarily, an open wound that is not under pressure will not get infected with daily wound care. You run into trouble when there are foreign objects in the wound that make it easy for bacteria to colonize, or if bacteria proliferates out of control, colonizes, and then causes an infection. Hence, washing with copious soap and water usually works the best.
 
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