Do I Need Stitches?
The first concern with open wounds is to control bleeding. If the wound is on a victim other than yourself, be sure to stay safe and follow universal precautions, using personal protective equipment if available. When evaluating a wound to decide if it needs stitches, there are several questions that need to be answered. The first is why you are considering stitches at all. Stitches are used for two reasons. • Close a wound to promote healing and discourage infection • Reduce scarring Let’s look at the second reason now, to get it out of the way. If the wound is in an area where scarring would be obvious and the wound is deep enough to see the fatty tissue under the skin surface (the subcutaneous tissue), then stitches may
