Best disinfectant for cuts in the out doors?

I let them bleed a bit, scrub them if they've got stuff in them, rinse, then stop the bleeding as much as possible with direct pressure, and cover with a square bandage and athletic tape if needed. I do carry a couple of single use Neosporin packets in my kit, but never think to use them.
 
I like to wash the cut with my potable water, unless for some reason that is detrimental aka running out of water. Neosporin or other triple antibacterial creams are mostly PJ and have always worked for me after the wash. I guess if someone is allergic to the stuff it would be a no go. Alcohol pads burn but seem to clean the cut so will go with one of those if water is low or sometimes I just use one. For all I know I am doing it all wrong but just relaying what I do. On a side note I really hate cutting myself during an outing. One of the goofiest moves was hitting my own hand with a hatchet when gathering firewood. On minute everything was fine, the next there was a hatchet slice in my other hand. I wasn't even using the tool. :(
 
A small bottle of hand sanitizer is better than nothing and on the trail is good for cleaning in general. Not perfect; but it's easy to find, lightweight, doesn't take up space, and isn't messy.
 
There is some good information in this thread. There is also some very very bad information in this thread. Reader beware.

Yeah the medical advice on this forum can go from practical to "what the hell" real quick. I've given up trying.
 
I use iodine or alcohol to clean the wound after washing with clean water. My problem is always keeping the wound clean and dry. For that, I use plenty of micro-porous tape or plasters.
 
If you're even wondering what the best answer to this question is, and you spend a fair amount of time outdoors, you owe it to yourself to take a good first aid course, preferably one oriented toward backcountry care. There are several institutions that offer everything from a weekend course in basic backcountry first aid, right up to a month-long wilderness EMT.

For all the "wilderness skills" that get talked about on forums like this, its unfortunate that solid backcountry first aid doesn't get more of an emphasis. It may not be as sexy as feather sticks and altoids kits, but it's a fundamental set of skills for the real world.
 
This is called *BLADE* FORUMS, wussies. What's wrong with you? I just heat my knife in the fire, then apply it to the wound.





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If that doesn't work, I'd go with Averageiowaguy's advice, 3:03 am and 5:43 am EST. :)

Ya ! A real man would just lob his hand off with an axe then cauterize the stump in a fire. freekin' wussies...............:D
 
A study a few years ago found that something like 80% of the positive effect of "antibiotic cream" was the white petroleum jelly (AKA "Vaseline"). I notice when I tried to cut a finger off last year, the doc at Cleveland Clinic used plain old WPJ after the stitches and before the dressing and bandage. Also, the package they gave me for care at home had packets of WPJ. Of course, what they "gave" me was $50/oz. :eek:

So now I have another use for "out-of-date" antibiotic cream. :D

I thought I had read several times that alcohol kills tissue as well as "germs" - and iodine the same.

When I was a kid it was iodine, Merthiolate, and Mercurochrome. All stung. All stained. Now out of fashion, but we all lived.
 
I use nothing, just scrub with Dr. Bronner's and only wrap if its bad. I carry a couple ounces of tea tree oil, mostly for bugs, but as noted above, it works well for disinfectant in a pinch, but I wouldn't put it on any deep/puncture wounds or burns.
 
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it kinda depends on what we have handy when we damage ourselves
betadine ointment and a bandaid usually .

If there seems to be infection, icthamol ointment , grandad swore by it to prevent tetanus in the days before tetanus shots , so far so good , three generations later .

On livestock , and on my self as well , with bigger wounds , and no other handy fix , just mixed a dark pink solution of kondies crystals and water , a fair pinch in a small bucket , and wash / flush / rinse with that , strap up as good as we could till we got to medical help .

I put a saw blade thru the webbing between thumb and finger thru to the bone , it was a 2 day drive to the hospital ,washd it with kondies solution to get the treebark out , no stiches because it was allready stuck shut itself by then , just a stern talking to by the doctor about how I shoulda been there inside a couple hours to get stitches ... city people .. healed ith barely a scare to see tho admittedly that was about 25 years ago .

We had an instance when we were travelling , mum burned herself pretty seriously and we were again a couple days from medical help , I dug up a bush onion lilly , mashed the bulb up and boiled it, the cooled juice is a powerful anti infection / inflammation / pain reliever all in one , a burn that I expected to be hanging on as a wound for weeks was healed in days .
Warning tho , bush medicine can be dammed powerful stuff , know what youre doing please if you try it .
 
Mostly I just clean it and go over the top with Mepore and a bit of Inadine dressing. Sometimes a bit more padding and a bit of tape, but generally I'm not in the habit of putting holes in myself that go beyond what cleaning, Mepore and Inadine will handle.
 
Been a ER nurse for over 8 yrs now and certified in Outdoor Emergency Care for 12+ yrs. The best recommendation I have for simple abrasions and superficial lacerations(which I assume you are asking about) is to initially clean it really well with soap and water then cover it with a Band-Aid, preferably a fabric one that is breathable. Make sure to keep the wound clean and dry for the next 48-72 hours because that is when an infection is most likely to occur. Neosporin after the first cleaning is okay but I do not recommend it for long term use on a wound because it creates a moist environment which doesn't let the wound dry out and scab over as easily. I could go on and on about different situations and conditions but this covers the basics for most minor wounds. Obviously for major lacerations or signs of infection you'll probably want to follow up with a MD.

There it is. Plain and simple. There are home remedies, fancy techniques, and then good old normal wound care. Spent more than enough time in the woods, brush, etc, and have got plenty of scrapes, cuts, slivers, and cuts. Always did the above, and never had an infection.

My wife cut herself badly opening a plastic container with her knife and went to the nearest ER. Guess what they did? See above. Then stitches. Never got infected, and we camped outside for 2 more dirty days after the wound.

It's not complicated. Don't overthink it.
 
Keeping the wound dry so a good scab can form is what I was taught in First Aid sixty years ago.

That is not the current wisdom.

I already reported the treatment I was given about a year ago by The Cleveland Clinic (interesting name for a world-renown hospital).


It turns out that the myth that drying out a wound by exposing it to the air and allowing to scab over will cause faster healing just will not go away! Fortunately, this issue has been investigated scientifically, and it is now conclusively demonstrated that a covered wound heals faster than an uncovered wound! This is because the scab, although it closes off the wound and protects it from infection, actually impedes the growth of new skin cells in to cover the wound. Therefore, the best way to protect a wound and to guarantee that it heals well is to cover it with a thin film of anti bacterial ointment or petroleum jelly. This creates a protective layer which keeps the air out, prevents extensive scabbing, and speeds up the migration and growth of new skin cells into the area. The application of the occlusive barrier (petroleum jelly, anti microbial ointment) is the real key here. Slapping a bandage on the area doesn't have quite the same effect on its own; although it does keep the area moist, it may also allow newly forming tissue to stick to the bandage. I recommend talking to your primary care doctor for more information.

The Mayo Clinic suggests "thick layer of petroleum ... to avoid early scab development."

Health tips - Surgical wound healing

Normal surgical wound healing takes time — and with aging, may take even longer. Here’s a general timeline:

■ The first few days — Generally, the best wound care at this stage involves mild daily cleansing and a thick layer of petroleum jelly. Follow your surgeon’s advice regarding bandages or nonstick dressings. Topical antibiotics
such as bacitracin or neomycin more often result in a rash than prevention of infection and are usually avoided. The goal is to maintain a relatively moist setting to avoid early scab development.

■ The first four to six weeks —To protect the wound from reopening, follow your doctor’s advice concerning activity level and how much you may lift. Wounds in weight-bearing locations and over joints may be at particular risk of reopening. Protect the wound from sun exposure, which can darken a healing scar. Contact your doctor if at any point you have increased pain or tenderness on or near the wound;
there’s increased swelling, redness or warmth; you notice drainage; the wound reopens; or your temperature is 100.4 F or higher.

■ Six months to a year — For best results in scar appearance — including color — continue using sun-protective measures, such as sunscreens and clothing that covers the scar. Even minimal exposure to sunlight during
the first year of scar formation can lead to long-standing darker pigmentation within the scab.

Tulane University:
A well hydrated wound will epithelialize faster than a dry one.

I did find this interesting:
If you can’t wash the wound, lick it. Licking a wound is a time-honored practice that may actually help disinfect it and promote healing, according to a small study in The Lancet. Researchers found that nitrites in saliva react with the skin to make nitric oxide, a chemical that can kill bacteria. Saliva also contains other substances that can help in healing.
 
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