Trunk Laceration (Child)

Home care

The health care provider may prescribe antibiotics. These are to prevent infection. They may be pills or a liquid for your child to take by mouth. Or they may be in a cream or ointment to put on the skin. Use the antibiotics as instructed every day until they are gone. Don’t stop giving them even if your child feels better. The provider may also prescribe medicine for pain. Follow all instructions for giving this medicine to your child. Don’t give your child aspirin unless you are told to by the provider. If your child is taking other medicines, check the ingredients. If they include acetaminophen or ibuprofen, let your child's doctor know.

General care

• Follow your health care provider’s instructions for how to care for the cut.

• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after caring for your child. This is to prevent infection.

• Change bandages or dressings as directed by the provider. Replace any bandage that becomes wet or dirty.

• Don’t soak the wound in water for 7 to 10 days. Give a baby a sponge bath. If your child is old enough, have them take showers instead of baths during this time. Use a clean cloth to gently pat the area dry if it gets wet.

• Numbness, itching, or tingling can be common as the wound heals. Make sure your child doesn't scratch, rub, or pick at the area. Use scratch mittens on a baby. Don't rub the area when holding the baby.

• Look at the wound every day for signs of infection.

• Watch wound edges for signs of partial or total separation.

Care for specific closures:

• Stitches or staples. Clean the wound daily. Wash your hands with soap and water. Remove the bandage. Wash the skin area with soap and water. Use a wet cotton swab to loosen and remove any blood or crust that forms. After cleaning, apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment if given. Put a clean bandage on the area. If you're worried about the stitches, get advice from your provider.

• Surgical tape. Keep the area dry. If it gets wet, blot it dry with a clean cloth. Skin tape will often fall off within 7 to 10 days. If it does not fall off after 10 days, you can remove it. Use mineral oil or petroleum jelly on a cotton ball to gently rub off the adhesive.

• Skin glue. Don't apply liquid, ointment, or creams to the wound while the glue is in place. Don't soak or scrub the wound. This means no swimming, prolonged sweating, or baths where the wound is under water. Showering and sponge baths are okay. Protect the wound from sunlight. The glue should peel off in 5 to 10 days. If it doesn't, use petroleum jelly or an ointment to help remove the glue.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s health care provider as advised. Return to have stitches or staples removed, if instructed.

When to get medical care

Contact your child's health care provider right away if any of these occur:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as advised by your child's provider

• Chills

• Wound reopens

• Pain gets worse

• Stitches or staples come apart or fall out too soon

• Warmth, redness, swelling, or a bad-smelling fluid leaking from the wound

• Pain when breathing

• Bleeding that does not stop after applying pressure