How long is a wound considered open? (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by lillardfair@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've been having this debate with someone who is a bit of a germaphobe in my view.

Say I have a paper cut on my finger. It's deep enough to bleed initially, but it stops within a couple minutes. Maybe I need a bandaid at first, but after a day or 2, it is past the point where it starts bleeding again if I accidentally hit it or rub it on something. A couple days on, it still has the little flap of skin on it. Later, that goes away, but you can still see where it was. Finally, there is no trace. At what point in this process is the wound effectively closed?

When can you resume normal activities (dish washing, food prep, go in a pool/hot tub, have a dog lick your hand) and not worry about infection?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

A wound is open for as long as it's bleeding. For something like a papercut, this should be just a few minutes for most healthy adults. If you mess with the scab, the wound can be re-opened, though.

when can you resume normal activities

As long as you're not actively bleeding and take the smallest precautions (wear a bandaid), you should be able to resume these within minutes

[-] lillardfair@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Thanks, this is how I've always operated, but the person I've debated this with is so entrenched it makes me wonder if I've just been sloppy and getting lucky.

[-] illi@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Curious what your friend thinks on this topic, actually

this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023

27 points (90.9% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26672 readers

1599 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics.

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have fun

Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'

This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spam

Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reason

Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.

It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.