When to Go to Urgent Care for a Cut

At some point — even multiple points — in your life, you’re going to get a cut or scrape, whether it’s a cooking-related injury, skinned knee, puncture wound, or animal scratch. In many cases, your body can quickly and effectively heal the skin damage, but there are times when an injury requires a trip to urgent care for medical attention. 

Sometimes, it's obvious when you need stitches, but other times, you may be unsure. That’s why our urgent care team at San Feliz Urgent Care in Glendale, California, highlights some telltale signs when it’s time to take a trip to our practice for immediate wound treatment.

Does your cut or scrape need immediate medical care?

Certain criteria almost always guarantee a required urgent care trip. You should see us immediately for wound care if your cut is:

• Deep enough to see your dermis or yellow fatty tissue
• Too wide for you to close the edges when applying gentle pressure
• From an animal or human bite
• The result of a foreign, rusty, or dirty object
• Located on your face, genitalia, or a joint
• Bleeding profusely without stopping

In addition, see us immediately if you notice any signs of an infection, such as a fever, nausea, or increased pain and redness. 

What might urgent care for a cut or scrape include?

When it comes to caring for wounds like cuts and scrapes, stitches are a top treatment. They close up breaks in your skin that are too large for your body to repair on its own. They also lower the chance of severe blood loss and protect you from infections. 

You may also need additional treatments such as antibiotics to treat possible infections or vaccinations to mitigate the risk of serious health issues such as tetanus. 

What to do on your way to urgent care

If you have a wound that requires urgent care, first aid steps to perform as you make your way to our practice include:

• If you have any foreign objects lodged in your body, keep them in
• Clean the wound as carefully as you can
• Apply pressure with a clean cloth and keep the wound site elevated
• Keep steady pressure for at least 10 minutes without removing the cloth
• Pat the injury area dry and place gauze or a bandage over the site

When possible, avoid eating or drinking anything since it could affect treatment. 

Do you need urgent care?

If you’re still unsure if you need urgent care, we recommend that you come in to see us. It’s much better to make a visit to our practice unnecessarily instead of ignoring a wound that needs treatment and putting yourself at risk for severe health complications. 

To schedule an appointment for urgent care of cuts and scrapes, call our office or use our online booking feature now.