If your child sustains a tear in the skin (laceration) call your pediatrician to see if the wound can be treated at home, or if it is best to come in for wound closure. Oftentimes dermabond (medical glue) is used which is a painless procedure.
If the cut is linear and less than 2 inches (or 5 cm), dermabond may be the best option for your child. If the wound is across the lip, on the eyebrows or eyelids, we would likely refer you to the emergency room for stitches.
Generally, our registered nurse will thoroughly clean the wound using saline and hibiclens. Once the wound is cleaned, the nurse practitioner will assess the wound and use dermabond (medical glue), if necessary to minimize infection risks and minimize scarring. Dermabond application is a painless procedure and much faster than getting stitches.
DERMABOND AFTER-CARE PATIENT HANDOUT
It depends on the type of wound, as well as your child's vaccine history. We will verify the date when the last tetanus vaccine (DTap or TDap) was received. If your child is not up-to-date on the tetanus vaccine, we would
strongly recommend getting the vaccine after the wound is closed.
Minor cuts and scrapes can be frightening to a child, especially when the child sees blood. After comforting your child, talk them through the steps you’ll take to get the bleeding under control and treat the wound.
