Cuts, Scrapes, and Wound Care: First Aid and When to Seek Care

An independent educational resource prepared by Mark M. Simonian, MD, FAAP

Sources checked: August 12, 2026     |     Medical review completed: August 12, 2026

This page is for general education only and does not replace individualized medical advice. This resource does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. For questions about your own child, contact your child's current healthcare professional.

Magnolia Pediatrics, Valley Children's Healthcare

2497 E. Herndon Avenue, Suite 101, Clovis, CA 93611     |     559-538-3070

Most small cuts and scrapes heal well with steady pressure, gentle cleaning, and protection from dirt and friction. This guide helps families identify when a wound needs prompt medical care. It cannot determine whether a wound needs stitches, glue, a tetanus update, or treatment for infection.

Urgent Warning Signs - Check This First

Call 911 for life-threatening bleeding or a serious injury. For many other wounds, prompt same-day assessment can prevent infection and improve healing.

CALL 911 NOW

  • Bleeding that is spurting or flowing heavily, or that does not stop with firm, continuous direct pressure.

  • A child who is pale, faint, confused, difficult to wake, has trouble breathing, or is otherwise seriously ill after an injury.

  • A deep wound to the chest, abdomen, head, neck, or a serious crush injury; an amputation; or an injury with an object still deeply embedded. Do not remove a deeply embedded object.

GET EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE NOW

  • A deep, gaping, or heavily contaminated wound; visible fat, muscle, or bone; or a wound over a joint, tendon, hand, foot, genitals, or face that may need closure.

  • A bite, puncture wound, crush injury, or wound with dirt, soil, saliva, or a possible retained foreign object.

  • A wound with loss of feeling, weakness, inability to move the nearby area normally, or a child who cannot use the injured body part.

CONTACT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TODAY

  • A cut whose edges do not stay together after cleaning, is deep or gaping, is on the face, or may need stitches, glue, or other closure. Seek advice as soon as possible because closure decisions can be time-sensitive.

  • Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pain, pus, honey-colored crusting, red streaks, fever, or a wound that is getting worse rather than better.

  • You are unsure whether the child is up to date on tetanus-containing vaccines, particularly after a dirty or major wound.

  • A small wound that cannot be cleaned, has gravel or splinters that will not come out easily, or is not healing as expected.

First Aid for a Small Cut or Scrape

For a small wound when the child is otherwise well and bleeding is controllable:

  • Wash your hands if possible. Place clean gauze or a clean cloth directly on the wound and press firmly and continuously. Avoid lifting the cloth repeatedly to check; that can restart bleeding.

  • After bleeding has stopped, gently rinse and clean the area with soap and clean running water. Remove loose surface dirt only if it comes away easily. Do not dig into the wound.

  • Pat dry. A small amount of plain petroleum jelly or clinician-recommended ointment can help keep a minor wound moist. Cover with a clean bandage if the area may get dirty or rub on clothing.

  • Change the bandage when wet or dirty and check the wound each day. Keep the child from picking at scabs.

What Not to Do

  • Do not pour hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, or iodine into a routine minor wound unless a healthcare professional tells you to; these can irritate healing tissue.

  • Do not use home glue, tape, or butterfly strips to close a wound that is deep, gaping, contaminated, over a joint, or near the eye. Have it assessed instead.

  • Do not remove a deeply embedded object or a large object impaled in the skin. Stabilize it if needed and seek emergency help.

  • Do not use leftover antibiotics or another person's prescription medicine.

Tetanus and Wounds

Tetanus prevention depends on the type of wound and the child's vaccination history. CDC guidance treats punctures, bites, dirty wounds, burns, crush injuries, and wounds with devitalized tissue as higher-risk examples. The healthcare professional should review the child's vaccine record and the injury rather than families trying to calculate a booster need at home. Antibiotics are not used simply to prevent tetanus.

Aftercare and Scar Care

  • Keep a healing wound clean, protected, and covered as advised. Follow any instructions about bathing, bandage changes, activity, and follow-up.

  • After the wound is fully closed and healed, protect the area from sun exposure. Ask the child's healthcare professional before applying sunscreen or scar products to a healing wound.

  • A scar can change in color and texture as it heals. Contact the healthcare professional if a scar becomes increasingly raised, painful, itchy, or extends beyond the original injury.

Related Guides

Sources and Medical Review

Sources checked August 12, 2026. Medical review completed August 12, 2026.