[MFlash]

I have a question. A person where I work, and provide basic EMT skills, cut her finger rather deep on Sunday. On Monday she asked for a new bandage. I dressed the wound for her, suggested she have a Dr. look at it incase she's done some nerve damange, and I gave her some samples of an antibiotic cream to take with her. My question is: can you still get infection when a wound is bleeding? I assume you can, but she was adament that as long as it was still bleeding she would not need an antibiotic.

Well?

[Sharon]

If you couldn’t get an infection while bleeding then no one with hemolytic infections (i.e. Ebola) would get sick. Besides you do not bleed from every cell. There are pockets of non-bleeding areas in a wound. Bleeding for a short period after injury will only decrease the volume of infectious material, rarely eliminate it. Actually prolong bleeding from an injury that should stop with non-surgical intervention is a sign of infection.