Many people have to deal with numerous sharp and harmful objects at work. One of those is a chainsaw operator. Chainsaw is definitely a complicated object which may cause severe injuries if not properly handled. This object commonly causes puncture wounds or open wounds. Most chainsaw wounds are severe and can be really deep. Sometimes, this kind of wound does not only hurt the skin, but also tendons and bones. Therefore, proper first aid will have a significant role in preventing infection and minimize pains.

What is a puncture wound?

A puncture wound is usually a result of injuries with sharp objects, such as nails and sharp blades. A chainsaw wound can also be classified as this kind of wound, although most of the time this wound caused by injuries with a chainsaw is also referred as an open wound. A puncture wound does not necessarily cause bleeding, yet a proper treatment is needed to make sure there will be no further bacterial infection. When a person is injured by a chainsaw, this person is most likely to have an open wound, which is commonly severe. An open wound caused by chainsaws are various. Some of those might only hurt the skin and the surface fats, while some others might affect the inner tissues, blood vessels, and even bones.

Chainsaw wound first aid

A wound caused by a chainsaw is usually major and scary. This might cause confusion and panic to most people. Despite this, first aid is needed to make sure that the wound is not infected. To perform this aid, some points can be considered:

1. Stop the bleeding if any. Some wounds might cause severe bleeding as the result of skin contact with a very sharp blade. It is important to stop this bleeding to avoid losing too much blood which may promote further health problems. To stop the bleeding, elevate the wounded area higher than the heart position. Use any pillow, pile of towels, or folded clothes to support the wounded area. This will prevent blood from circulating through the wound and thus, perform faster blood clot.
2. Clean the wound. This step is very important when dealing with a chainsaw injury. A wound caused by a chainsaw is less likely to be clean. Therefore, you have to seek for any left debris and excess this from the wound using sterilized tweezers. However, use only cool running water instead of iodine, since this solution might damage skin tissues and slow down healing process. Otherwise, apply an antibiotic ointment of antibiotic powder from grounded antibiotic tablets. This is important to inhibit possible bacterial infection.
3. Cover the wound. Although some old wives’ tales state that a wound should be left opened for breathing, it is much better to cover the wound and keep it moist. This is the perfect environment for new skin cells to grow to perform skin repair.
4. Seek for medical help. A small and shallow chainsaw wound might be suitable for home treatment. Yet, more severe wounds will require more concerns. A used, dirty chainsaw might transfer bacteria onto the wound and promote infection. This will be even more dangerous if the victim has not been injected with a tetanus shot for the last ten years. This might lead to tetanus, which will likely to cause death. Seeing medical practitioners will give a second opinion about how much this shot is needed in treating the chainsaw wound.
5. Concern about infections. Medications should work on a chainsaw wound and thus, promote a proper healing process, although mostly, the process is not simple and may take a while. However, signs of infection still need to be watched carefully. See your doctor if you notice some signs such as nausea, fever, increasing pain, pus drainage, severe swelling, or continuous wound redness. These are some early signs of infection which has to be handled properly immediately.
6. Consume healthy foods

Proper diets is really important in wound healing period. This will give sufficient nutrients which enables the body to produce whatever substances needed for making the healing process faster. Sufficient water, fruits, and vegetables are thus necessary to support your body healing the wounded area.