What should you do in the first few minutes?
Control bleeding with firm, continuous pressure. Cool a burn under cool running water for twenty minutes. Rest and elevate a suspected sprain. Do not move anyone with a suspected spinal injury, and do not remove an embedded object.
Bleeding
Press firmly and continuously with a clean cloth. Do not lift it repeatedly to check. Raise the limb if you can.
Burns
Cool running water for twenty minutes. No ice, no butter, no toothpaste. Remove jewellery near the area before swelling starts.
Sprains
Rest, elevate, and avoid weight-bearing. Cooling can ease pain in the first day.
Falls
If a head, neck or back injury is possible, keep the person still and call 998 rather than moving them into a car.
Sources: World Health Organization — burns
Which injuries need a hospital tonight?
Anything needing imaging, stitches, surgical cleaning or specialist assessment. That includes deep or gaping wounds, suspected fractures, burns that are large, deep or on the face, hands, feet or genitals, and any head injury with vomiting or drowsiness.
- A wound that gapes open, will not stop bleeding, or has something embedded in it
- A limb that looks deformed, cannot bear weight, or has lost sensation
- Burns larger than the person's palm, or on the face, hands, feet, joints or genitals
- Any electrical or chemical burn
- A head injury with vomiting, drowsiness, confusion or a brief loss of consciousness
- An animal or human bite, or a wound contaminated with soil
- Any injury in someone taking blood-thinning medication
When can a home visit handle an injury?
For minor wounds needing cleaning and dressing, for pain assessment, and for advice about whether imaging is needed. A home visit cannot X-ray a limb, so a suspected fracture belongs in a facility regardless of how difficult travel is.
Common questions
Answers connected to this guide.
How long can I wait before a cut is stitched?
Wounds that may need closing are generally better dealt with sooner, and delay increases infection risk. Seek assessment the same night rather than waiting for morning.
Should I put ice directly on a burn?
No. Use cool running water for twenty minutes. Ice can deepen the injury, and household remedies make the burn harder to assess.
Can I tell a sprain from a fracture at home?
Not reliably. Inability to bear weight, deformity, numbness or severe localised bone pain all point toward imaging rather than home management.