Can I use wound care cream for redness and swelling

Whether nursing cream can be used on wounds that are red or swollen cannot be generalized. You must first understand the cause of redness and swelling before making a judgment. Blind application may delay recovery or even aggravate infection.

Last week, I treated the wound with my best friend who broke her knee while riding a shared bicycle. The area around her knee was red the next day, swollen and a little hot. I took out the wound care ointment at home and applied it. I pressed the red and swollen area first. There was no soft and fluctuating feeling, and there was no pus. It was a normal inflammatory reaction 1-3 days after an ordinary trauma. I disinfected it with iodine and applied a thin layer of repairing ointment containing panthenol. The redness and swelling were almost gone in about three days.

Not all situations are suitable for applying it. A while ago, I heard from the nurse from the community health service downstairs that after a child broke the back of his hand, the parents applied thick layers of care ointment every day when they saw the redness and swelling. Later, the child was in so much pain that he couldn't lift his hand before going to the community health care. There was pus under the scab, and it took almost two weeks for it to heal. This is a counterexample of applying it indiscriminately when there is already infectious redness and swelling. Nowadays, many people in the nursing field think that as long as the wound is red and swollen, you should not apply nursing cream. They are afraid that the occlusive paste will suffocate the wound and aggravate the inflammatory exudation. This concern is actually reasonable, especially if the redness and swelling are accompanied by severe throbbing pain and purulent secretions. Applying the cream will block the secretions in the wound, providing a breeding ground for bacteria.

There are also redness and swelling that are not normal reactions to wound recovery at all, such as contact redness and swelling caused by allergies to band-aids or tapes. The itching is severe and a small rash occurs. Applying wound care ointment is completely inappropriate and may aggravate the allergy. Special anti-allergy ointments must be used. If you are really not sure which situation you are in, don't rush to apply the ointment. Use iodophor to disinfect it and leave it open for a long time. If the redness and swelling gradually subside and there is no new secretion, just apply another thin layer. If it becomes more painful and the area of ​​redness and swelling continues to expand, don't bear it on your own. It would be safer to see a doctor as soon as possible.