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Lacerations services offered in Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows and Mt. Prospect, IL
Nearly everyone has lacerations during their lifetime, as these wounds account for 8.2% of emergency room visits. At NewMed Immediate Care in Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, and Prospect, Illinois, the experienced medical team offers sutures and other treatments for lacerations to optimize healing and minimize scarring. Schedule an appointment by phone, request one online, or simply walk in today.
What are lacerations?
Lacerations are wounds that occur because of soft tissue tearing. They are often jagged and irregular and can become contaminated with debris or bacteria. Lacerations typically cause bleeding. They may need sutures to heal effectively or other treatments to reduce the risk of an infection.
Lacerations are a common cause of emergency room visits, where about 7-9 million lacerations are treated each year in the United States. If you have a laceration that needs medical attention, you have an alternative to the emergency room with a shorter wait: NewMed Immediate Care. The team can see you for a walk-in visit.
What can cause lacerations?
Lacerations are cuts in the skin caused by a sharp object, such as a piece of glass or a razor. You might have a laceration caused by stepping on something sharp, using tools, or using a sharp knife. Puncture wounds are similar wounds; they appear after being punctured (poked through the skin) with a pointy object.
How are lacerations diagnosed?
Diagnosing a laceration at NewMed Immediate Care involves a simple medical exam. Your provider determines how to best treat the laceration based on its size, severity, amount of bleeding, and how the injury occurred.
How are lacerations treated?
Treating lacerations at NewMed Immediate Care may involve one or more of the following solutions:
Wound cleaning
Cleaning the wound helps eliminate dirt, other debris, and infection-causing bacteria.
Antibiotics
Oral and topical antibiotics help reduce the risk of an infection after sustaining a laceration.
Adhesive strips
Using medical strips or tape is sometimes an appropriate treatment for smaller, more shallow lacerations to keep the edges of the wound in place during healing.
Sutures
Sutures, or stitches, use threads to hold your wound's edges together during the healing process. They accelerate healing, stop bleeding, and minimize scarring. Sutures also reduce the risk of infection. Lacerations that are longer than ½ inch or on your face may need sutures.
Can I treat a laceration at home?
Minor lacerations may be okay to treat at home if they don’t show signs of infection (redness, pus, warmth, etc.), are no longer bleeding, and are small in size.
However, if you’re unsure if your laceration needs stitches or it won’t stop bleeding, see the NewMed Immediate Care experts for an evaluation. The team also treats abscesses, minor burns, puncture wounds, animal bites, and other common wounds.
Schedule a laceration evaluation at NewMed Immediate Care by calling the office or booking an appointment online today. Walk-ins are also welcome.