Road rash after a cycling crash
Large, dirty and painful. The cleaning is unpleasant and it is the part that matters.
Road rash is a large-surface graze with embedded grit. It is at high risk of both infection and permanent tattooing if debris is left in.
Clean it thoroughly
Irrigate with plenty of clean running water or sterile saline. Debris must come out. This hurts, and doing it properly on day one is far better than a wound infection on day four. If grit is embedded beyond gentle wiping, get it seen.
Dress it, do not air it
A large graze left open dries into a cracking crust that reopens every time you move. Cover with a non-adherent dressing sized generously — 8 × 15cm or 10 × 20cm for a hip or thigh.
Expect heavy exudate early
For the first day or two the wound will produce a lot of fluid. Change when the pad is saturated, which may be twice daily at first, then settle to daily.
Watch for infection
Road rash covers a big area, so infection has a lot of front to work with. Spreading redness, increasing pain after day two, or fever means get it seen.
Check your tetanus cover
Road grit is a classic dirty wound. If you are unsure when you were last covered, ask.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.