Hand hygiene before touching a wound
The most common route for bacteria into a wound is the hands of the person dressing it.
Most wound infections are introduced during handling, not at the moment of injury. Hand hygiene is the single highest-value habit in wound care.
Before
- Wash hands with soap and warm water for twenty seconds, or use alcohol gel on visibly clean hands.
- Gather everything you need before you start, so you are not opening cupboards mid-procedure.
- Put on disposable gloves if you are dressing someone else, always.
During
- Handle dressings by the edges. Never touch the pad that will sit on the wound.
- Open the sachet at the point of use, not in advance.
- If you touch something else mid-way — a phone, a door — start the hand hygiene again.
After
Bag the old dressing before removing gloves, then wash hands again. Do this even if the wound looked clean.
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.