Introduction

A wound of the skin is the result of an injury (like a laceration or cut) or surgery. A wound will either be left open to heal from the inside out, or it will be closed with stitches or sutures.Sutures are threads or wires, or staples that close the edges of the skin around a wound to promote healing.

Doctors also close wounds with staples, glue, and butterfly bandagesor Steri-strips. However, wound closures require a different type of follow-up care than sutures.

Proper Wound Care

Proper care of a wound allows it to heal without an infection. When you care for someone with any kind of stitch or wound closure, you need to know what a wound should look like and the steps to take to safely clean the wound.

Never try to remove a suture or wound closure. This could reopen a wound, damage tissue or cause an infection. The doctor will decide when it is time to remove sutures or any other wound closure.