These can include increased pain, redness, swelling, odor, pus, or drainage. Monitor the wound regularly for signs of infection. This allows you to remove the dressing slowly. Instead, use a sterile saline solution to moisten the area. This can reopen the wound, delaying the healing process. If the bandage adheres to the wound, don’t peel it off quickly. Secure the dressing in place using a roller bandage.Ĭhange the dressing frequently to keep the bandage fresh - once or twice per day should be sufficient. Applying a medical dressing, such as a non-adhesive gauze pad, can help protect the wound from bacteria and impact damage, allowing it to heal properly. Once you’ve cleaned the wound thoroughly, you can try applying an antibiotic ointment to protect against infection. Tweezers can help you extract these fragments. As road rash often involves high-speed collision with the ground, foreign debris can become embedded in your skin, such as dirt, glass, or rocks.

Don’t scrub the wound, because you may cause more tissue damage and pain by doing so.ĭo not treat the wound with topical antiseptics, such as hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol. Clean the wound gently with water, dabbing with gauze or a cotton pad. How to Treat Minor Road Rashįirst, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water you don’t want to introduce harmful bacteria to the wound. In severe cases, you can suffer nerve damage, scarring, and disfigurement, which often require more extensive medical treatment, up to and including skin grafts.

Seeing a healthcare provider and following their advice for treatment options after suffering road rash is the best way to prevent infection and reduce pain. Some road-rash injuries are relatively minor and can be initially treated at home with a basic first-aid kit. Falling off your motorcycle at highway speeds, however, can cause significantly more damage. If you ever fell off your bike as a child and scraped your knee, that was a mild example. Cyclists, skateboarders, and runners also experience road rash. Road rash is an abrasion injury or friction burn to the skin resulting from sliding along the rough surface of a gravel, asphalt, or concrete road. If you or someone you know has experienced a motorcycle accident due to a negligent driver, you may have suffered a variety of different injuries, including road rash. Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that motorcyclists are approximately 27 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than people who drive passenger cars. One of those hazards is irresponsible and negligent drivers. Motorcycle riders face unique hazards and challenges every day.

Dog road rash