If you get a cut or a laceration, there is a chance you need to get the wound sutured. Stitches facilitate healing, avoid scarring and prevent infections. Not every cut or wound warrants a trip to the emergency room, which is why visiting an urgent care center is the perfect go-to for non-emergent wound care. Not only are you receiving quality care, but it’s at a fraction of the cost.
But when do you know when you need stitches? Some cuts don’t look as deep as they are, while others are incredibly superficial. You may need urgent care if you fall under one of these categories:
Your injury is in an area where you would like to avoid scarring.
Stitches allow your injury to heal with minimal scarring. Suppose you have a cut or laceration on your face or another prominent part of your body, and you’d like to refrain from carrying a scar for years to come. In such cases, stitches are an excellent way to support your body’s healing process, allowing quicker healing times with less visible permanent damage.
Your cut is very deep, jagged or gaping.
When you end up with a cut, it’s essential to determine its severity. Sometimes it can be challenging to gauge whether a cut is extremely deep, but a good rule of thumb is a lactation’s length, width and location. Cuts longer than ½ an inch may need stitches, and if you notice that there is gaping to the point where the skin is pulled apart and will not meet, medical attention is highly recommended.
It won’t stop bleeding.
There will be blood any time the skin is penetrated by an object or sliced. Some areas of the body, like the scalp, will produce more blood than other areas. Deep skin injuries will also produce more blood due to the laceration passing through multiple layers of the epidermis. Generally, blood will slowly begin to coagulate and reduce, mainly if pressure is applied to a wound. However, in some instances, this may not happen. If you’ve applied pressure to a cut for more than 10 minutes, and it hasn’t stopped bleeding, seek medical attention. Blood loss is severe and can result in your body’s inability to pump blood throughout, leading to further complications.
However, some lacerations do require an emergency room visit. Some signs you need to visit an ER include:
- If you can see muscle, fat, or bone through the cut.
- If blood is spurting out of the wound
- If there is a foreign object embedded in the cut
If you cannot stop the bleeding or are losing substantial amounts of blood, call 911.
If you do sustain a cut or laceration and think you might need sutures and stitches, you don’t have to choose between an urgent care facility or an emergency room visit. Riverview Health offers both at each convenient location. Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
As one of the only health systems in Hamilton County offering emergency and urgent care services under one roof, Riverview Health is unlike any other medical facility center. Patients are only billed for the level of care they receive. Riverview Health’s ER is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the urgent care walk-in clinics are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. There is no need for appointments for in-person visits; however, pre-registration is available.
To find a location nearest you, visit https://riverview.org/locations/.
