First Aid for Removing Splinters

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Overview

When a splinter is present under the skin, if this is left, this can cause an infection. Before you decide to remove a splinter you need to look for signs of infection in the splinter. These signs include:

  • Inflammation
    When a splinter is present under the skin, if this is left, this can cause an infection. Before you decide to remove a splinter you need to look for signs of infection in the splinter.
    When a splinter is present under the skin, if this is left, this can cause an infection. Before you decide to remove a splinter you need to look for signs of infection in the splinter.
  • Redness
  • Pus coming from the area
  • A feeling of throbbing in the area whether you are moving or not

When you do see a sign of infection, you are going to want to seek medical care for removing this. Developing infection not only depends on how long the splinter has been present, but also on the type of material that the splinter is. For example, unprocessed material is often more likely to cause infection.

How to Remove a Splinter

If you do not have an infection and need to remove a splinter, you are going to want to follow these steps in order to remove the splinter:

  1. Before starting to remove the splinter, be sure to wash your hands.
  2. The first way to remove this is to compress the skin and try to move the splinter out the same way that this came back in, as this is going to be the gentlest method to utilize.
  3. If this does not work, take a needle and a pair of tweezers and sanitize these. You will want to use isopropyl alcohol or povidone-iodine so that all germs are killed.
  4. Clean the area of the splinter, as well as the surrounding area with soap and lukewarm water. You can also use povidone-iodine on the area as well.
  5. Take the needle to open the skin above the splinter so that you can grab the splinter with the tweezers.
  6. Once you grab the splinter, gently start to remove this from the skin
  7. Afterwards, clean the area with soap and water, and utilize some iodine to help keep the area free of germs.

Additional Tips to Help with Splinter Removal

  1. In most cases, the area where the splinter has gone in is going to hurt worse than anything.
  2. If the splinter is beneath a fingernail, you may have a harder time removing this. You may need to visit a doctor in order to cut away the nail in order to remove the splinter.
  3. Ensure that you are up to date on your tetanus vaccination for safety reasons.
  4. You will want to remove a splinter in sanitary conditions. Thus, do not feel that this has to be done immediately if you are not in a place that can allow you do this safely.

Related Video On Splinters

 

 

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