Cuts, Bumps & Falls
Whether it’s a knife accident chopping veggies for dinner or a misstep off the deck stairs, many cuts, bumps, and bruises can be handled at home with ice or a home first aid kit supplies.
Head to the ER if… what’s supposed to be on the inside is on the outside, or what’s supposed to be on the outside is on the inside, says Stanton. If you can see muscle, tendons, or bone, it requires more than just a BandAid. “It’s important to get these addressed because they are fraught with potential secondary complications from infection to loss of function and ischemia [reduced blood flow],” warns Stanton.
