Your kitchen may be housing some dangerous hazards - Postcripts - Brief Article

Nutrition Health Review, Fall, 2002

Your kitchen may be housing some dangerous hazards to you and your family that you may not be aware of. Knife wounds can occur at any time, but basic first-aid knowledge can help you identify the severity of the injury and how to treat it.

The amount of blood present at the time of the wound is not a sound indicator of how severe the cut may be, according to Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt, assistant professor at the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"A knife cut is probably going to bleed a lot," he says. "Apply steady pressure to the wound for five to 10 minutes, and then assess the wound once the bleeding has stopped."

If the cut is not superficial--if you can pull the edges far apart--or if your fingers feel numb or weak, it is a good idea to have a professional take a look at it. If a foreign body is in the cut, you may need a professional examination.

"If your cut doesn't need medical attention, the best advice is to keep it clean, and plain old soap and water is the best way to do that," Dr. Kleinschmidt says.