Really basic first aid question

[BarkingHarriet]

Dd1 fell off her scooter yesterday and grazed her knee - reopening and making worse a graze that she'd done falling off her scooter a few days before ( I know!!)

She's just taken the plaster off and it's all wet underneath - should we leave the plaster off and let it dry overnight - but if we do it'll stick to the sheets won't it?

Heylp ! [useless mummy emoticon]

[mummynoseynora]

I would give it a good clean with water, maybe dab some sudocrem and yes - leave it open... it won't really start to heal or dry until it gets some air to it

[floweryblue]

[not a mummy emoticon] make sure it's clean, no bits of gravel etc, then leave it to dry out, maybe keep her up for a while so she doesn't go to bed with wet sore bits

[MaureenMLove]

Don't put any cream on it. All you need for a cut is clean water. Let it breath over night and it should be fine in the morning.

[LoveBeingAbleToNamechange]

Ditto clean, dry ish and not covered.

[twinklegreen]

I don't have any training on this! But if it was one of my dc's I would leave it off and let it dry out over night.

DS had his finger nail taken of by a door (BAD mummy moment ) I had to dress it for a few days, then the nurse said to take the dressing off and let it heal in the air, I was a bit hesitant as it looked SO sore, but after one night was completely dry and looked so much better :)

If she keeps moving over while she sleeps it shouldn't stick anyway.

[Sidge]

Well it depends how deep it is.

Drying out wounds is all very well but if they're a bit deep and get too dry and scabby they don't heal well. It's a bit like trying to grow flowers in a flower bed with a concrete slab on.

Wounds need oxygen, moisture and a good blood supply to heal and a good dressing will keep it in the right 'environment' whilst it heals from the underneath.

Most plasters, especially the plasticky waterproof ones, aren't especially good for grazes and deeper wounds as they leave them a bit boggy and soggy. I prefer the fabric stretch ones, as they let it dry slightly whilst protecting it.

If you can visit a pharmacy you could buy some non-adherent adhesive dressings such as Mepore, which are handy to keep in your first aid tin - they are great for grazes and bigger wounds.

In the meantime wash it with clean water, you don't need creams on it, and cover it if you can with something non-adherent and non-plasticky.

[BarkingHarriet]

Thank you so much everyone, Mumsnet triumphs again!