Abrasion, cut or laceration? Seek medical care at Urgent Care of The Palm Beaches

Minor scrapes and abrasions happen to us all the time. No matter if we are all thumbs or extremely careful, they just happen! Chopping food for dinner may result in slicing one’s finger, performing Do-It-Yourself tasks puts your hands at risk, too, and using gloves to protect your fingers isn’t always possible, especially when performing very intricate manual tasks. 

After you suffer a cut or laceration you may sustain bleeding, pain, infection and future scarring.  Their severity depends on the depth of the cut, and the extent of the damage to the structures beneath the skin. That’s why it is recommended that every cut which length is greater than 2 inches is inspected by a medical practitioner at our urgent care in Forest Hill or other locations.

The types of common injuries to the skin

A cut happens when the connective tissues of your skin are parted. None of the skin is missing, but the disconnected tissue reveals a wound. A cut is typically caused by a sharp object, such as a knife or a shard of glass. 

A laceration is a tearing of the skin that results in an irregular wound. Lacerations may be caused by impacts from both sharp and blunt objects. 

An abrasion is a skin injury caused by friction, most often when skin rubs against a rough surface and the upper layer of the skin is scraped off. The nerve endings are exposed which can cause pain and redness. 

The risk of wound infection and when to seek medical care

Most minor wound infections can be effectively treated at home. However, sometimes even a minor injury to the skin may result in infection. An infection occurs when bacteria grow within the damaged skin of a wound. If you experience the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention at our urgent care in Forest Hill, as your wound may be infected:

• Increasing pain
• Swelling and redness
• Warm skin around the wound
• Yellow or green discharge coming from the wound
• The wound giving off an unpleasant odor
• In most severe cases: nausea, chills or fever can occur. 

Call us immediately to schedule an appointment or walk-in to our Forest Hill urgent care clinic if:

• The wound is on your face.
• The cut is deep (1/4 inch or more), or you can see fat or muscle. These are signs that you may need stitches.
• You can't get all of the dirt or debris out of the wound, or the wound was caused by something very dirty or rusty.
• You have a puncture wound or a cut and haven't had a tetanus shot in the past 5 years.
• The injured area feels numb
• The wound is from an animal or human bite

At Urgent Urgent Care of The Palm Beaches, you will have our medical team inspect your wound. We will clean the wound, stitch it if necessary, recommend a tetanus booster, and advise you how to take care of your injury at home. Call 561 328-8433 to schedule an appointment at our Forest Hill/Palm Springs urgent care location.

Call (561) 429-4779 for West Palm Beach/Palm Beach location.

Call (561) 429-6109 for North Palm Beach/Palm Beach Gardens location.

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.