In our daily life, we will inevitably get injured, and wound infection is a problem that we may face after injury. There is a common view that the wound infection can be cured only by alcohol disinfection, but this is actually a misunderstanding, or even a dangerous rumor.
First of all, we need to understand the principle of alcohol disinfection. The reason why alcohol can disinfect is that it can denature the protein of bacteria, thus achieving the effect of sterilization. However, this does not mean that it is applicable to all types of wound infections. For some superficial, non-suppurative small wounds, alcohol disinfection may have a certain effect. For example, small wounds such as fingers cut by paper carelessly, gently wiping around with alcohol cotton balls can kill some of the bacteria that may invade and reduce the risk of infection. However, when the wound shows symptoms of infection, the situation is completely different.
Wound infection is often accompanied by symptoms such as swelling, fever, increased pain, and even suppuration. If only alcohol is used for disinfection, it may cause more problems. On the one hand, alcohol is very irritating to wounds. When the wound is already infected, its own mucosa and tissue are fragile, and alcohol contact can cause severe pain, which is an additional suffering for patients, especially for children or people who are sensitive to pain. Moreover, the pain may cause the patient to resist subsequent treatment and affect the recovery of the wound.
Alcohol,
on the other hand, has a limited effect on pre-existing infectious agents. If the infection is caused by drug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), alcohol may not be effective in killing these bacteria. There are also some anaerobic infections, which are common in deep, narrow and contaminated wounds, such as being stabbed by rusty nails. Alcohol can not penetrate into the anaerobic environment where these anaerobic bacteria live, and the infection will continue to develop.
In addition, it is not feasible to rely solely on alcohol disinfection and neglect the cleaning of wounds. When the wound is infected, there may be dust, foreign bodies, etc. If these are not cleaned up, even if alcohol is used to disinfect, they will still become the source of infection and continue to affect the wound. For example, when injured on the construction site, there is sawdust left in the wound. If only alcohol is used to disinfect the wound, the bacteria in the sawdust and the sawdust itself will continue to stimulate the wound, leading to the aggravation of the infection.
Proper management of wound infection requires a wide range of measures. The first step should be a thorough cleaning of the wound. Normal saline can be used to wash the wound, which is similar to the osmotic pressure of the human body, will not cause damage to the wound tissue, and can effectively remove dirt and some bacteria on the wound surface. For wounds with foreign bodies, professional medical instruments may be needed to remove the foreign bodies and ensure the cleanliness of the wound.
After
cleaning, the appropriate disinfectant can be selected according to the degree and type of wound infection. If it is a general bacterial infection, iodophor is a better choice. Iodophor is less irritating than alcohol, has good disinfection effect, and can kill a variety of bacteria, fungi and viruses. For deeper wounds, special infections such as tetanus should also be considered, and tetanus antitoxin can be injected according to the doctor’s advice.
It is also important to keep the wound dry and ventilated after
treatment. The wound should not be kept in a humid environment for a long time, otherwise it is easy to breed bacteria. At the same time, avoid excessive bandaging, which will lead to local temperature increase and humidity increase, which are conducive to bacterial growth.
If the wound infection is serious, fever, general discomfort and other symptoms occur, we must seek medical treatment in time. The doctor will treat the wound professionally according to the condition of the wound. Bacterial culture and drug sensitivity test may be carried out to determine the pathogen of the infection and the most effective antibiotic. This is the key to dealing with wound infection, rather than blindly using alcohol to disinfect it.
In a word, we should break the misunderstanding that “wound infection can be cured only by alcohol disinfection”, correctly understand the treatment of wound infection, avoid delaying the condition because of wrong ideas, so that the wound can heal as soon as possible and recover. Only in this way can we better protect ourselves after injury and avoid the more serious consequences of infection.
