The most important care after a knife is to avoid removing the knife or any object that is inserted in the body, because there is a high risk of worsening bleeding or causing further damage to the internal organs, increasing the risk of death.
So when someone is stabbed, what you should do is:
- Avoid removing the knife or other object that is inserted in the body;
- Press around the wound with a clean cloth to try to stop the bleeding. If possible, gloves should be worn so as not to come in direct contact with blood, especially if there is any cut in the hand;
- Call a physician immediately, calling 192.
If during the period when the ambulance does not arrive, the person becomes very pale, cold or dizzy, you should lie down and try to raise your legs above the level of the heart, so that the blood can reach the brain more easily.
However, this can also increase bleeding from the wound and so it is very important to keep the pressure around the wound, at least until the arrival of the medical staff.
In addition, if the person has been stabbed more than once, one should first treat the wound that is bleeding further to try to stop life-threatening bleeding.
What to do if the knife has already been removed
In case the knife has already been removed from the body, it is necessary to apply pressure on the wound with a clean cloth, to try to stop the hemorrhage until the arrival of the medical aid.
What to do if the person stops breathing
If the person stabbed fails to breathe, basic life support with heart compressions should be started immediately to keep the heart from pumping. Here's how to do heart compressions correctly:
If there is another person available, you should be asked to keep the pressure on the wound while you are doing the compressions to prevent blood from leaving the wound.
How To Treat Stab Sore
After hemorrhage and injury to internal organs, infection is a leading cause of death in stabbed persons. For this reason, if the bleeding has stopped, after applying pressure to the site, it is very important to take care of the wound. To do this, one should:
- Remove any dirt that is close to the wound;
- Wash the wound with saline to remove excess blood;
- Cover the wound with a sterile dressing .
During wound care it is very important, if possible, to use gloves not only to avoid transmitting bacteria to the wound, but also to protect from contact with blood. Here's how to do a proper dressing.
Even after bleeding and wound dressing, it is very important to wait for medical help or go to the hospital to see if there is any major organ affected and if it is necessary to start using an antibiotic, for example.
