How to Prevent Knife Wounds in the Kitchen

Few kitchen injuries are as traumatic and dangerous as a knife wound. A few weeks ago, I had my first emergency room visit - and it was all because I, for a brief moment, abandoned all I knew about knife safety.

All it takes is a brief moment and suddenly you're in pain and you know if you don't act quickly, you'll lose a lot of blood. Thankfully, my experience has a happy ending and my finger is still intact and I've learned a lot about how to treat a knife wound.

A Knife Wound - My Story

I love chopping - it's one of the most relaxing things I do in the kitchen. I'm quick, but careful. I didn't cut myself while chopping - that's what most people think happened. I'm almost embarrassed to tell them the truth - that I was trying to open a bag of lettuce with my serrated chef's knife and it slipped.

Instead if the knife hitting air, my finger was right there. It sliced off the pad of my finger but didn't go deep enough to expose bone. I could feel the adrenaline shoot through my body and I grabbed a paper towel, wrapped it around my finger, and attached a rubber band on it.

It wasn't until later that I realized I made a tourniquet. I didn't start losing blood until they took the tourniquet off in the emergency room. Once I arrived at the ER they treated me beautifully - I didn't even need stitches.

Preventing Knife Wounds

I play the event over in my mind. Why was I attempting to open a bag using a knife? I should have gotten a scissors. It would have offered me more control and I definitely wouldn't have cut myself like I did. I learned that all it takes is one single moment. Even if you practice knife safety 99% of the time, it's that 1% that leaves you vulnerable.

The number one way to prevent knife wounds is to be careful and pay attention. I've had a few close calls. I nicked my finger once while I was cutting mushrooms and talking on the phone at the same time. The lesson I learned? Don't chop while distracted. All you need to do is lose your focus for one second and that's all it takes.

Visit the Emergency Room Right Away

Knife wounds lose a lot of blood. As soon as the wound happens, cover it with a paper towel and apply pressure. If it's on your finger you can do what I did - hold the paper towel on it with a rubber band. If you're alone, call 911 for assistance. If you can get a ride, have someone take right away.

It is best not to drive yourself. Your concentration while driving will be on the wound. The last thing you need is to get into a car accident on your way to the hospital. You may need stitches but don't worry, they typically numb the area so you don't feel pain while they do it.

Of course, if it's just a small nick, you won't even need to go. However, one look at my particular wound and I knew I had to visit the ER. The skin was almost completely sliced off. However, make sure your tetanus shot is updated regardless of if you need to go to the ER or not.

Treating for the Knife Wound

Once your wound is dressed properly, the biggest piece of advice I can give is follow the instructions given to you by the nurse and the doctor. Keep the wound clean and dry. I change my bandage every day after I take a shower. It's a lot of plastic bandages but it kept the wound from getting infected which is very important.

You'll also want to keep the injury out of harm's way. My wound was on my left hand and since I'm right handed, I didn't have a problem with that. However, it's easy to hit it against something if you're not paying attention.

If you keep the wound dry and out of the way from your daily life, it should heal well. If you notice an increase in pain, if the wound starts to ooze, if it keeps bleeding and won't stop, or if there is any negative change at all you should see your doctor. It could be infected and you might need antibiotics.

Is the wound not bad enough for the emergency room? Just apply pressure to it until it stops. Then, wash it out with antibacterial soap, pat it dry with a piece of gauze, and apply a bandage. Change the bandage every day or so.

Do try to prevent a wound from happening in the first place. If it does happen, just make sure you get the care you need to make sure it heals.