First Aid: Bites

Bites that break the skin are at a very high risk of infection due to the amount of bacteria that is inside of people's mouths. You can reduce the risk of an infection by using mouth wash before harming yourself and cleaning bites that do break the skin with soap and water or anti-sepic. You can read more about infections and how to prevent them here.

Seek emergency medical attention or call an ambulance immediately if you show symptoms of a serious infection, such as...

• Confusion or disorientation
• Feeling faint, dizzy, or fainting
• Irregular heartbeat and/or breathing
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Fever (body temperature of 38c (100.4 f) or higher)
• A red line coming from the wound
• Severe muscle pain
• Painful muscle spasms
• This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms, more info here.

A serious infection can be deadly and cause permanent disability, DO NOT attempt to care for at home. If you are unsure how serious an injury is, call your local A&E's nurse line (if in the UK call 111 or use 111 online)

Mild infections can often be treated at home. Symptoms of mild infection include...

• Spreading redness, heat, or swelling near the wound
• Increased or new pain
• Slow healing
• Thick, smelly, or discoloured drainage leaking from wound. Normal drainage is watery, doesn't smell strong, and clear or yellowish

Some redness, pain, and fluid leakage can be normal. If you have a medical condition or take a medication (i.e. immunosuppressants) that puts you at higher risk of complication or if you are unsure if you are able to treat your wound, seek medical advice. If you are unsure how serious an injury is, call your local A&E's nurse line (if in the UK call 111 or use 111 online).

More information on how to treat a (mild) infection here.

If the bite has broken then skin and bleeding, allow it to bleed a bit before apply pressure with gauze or clean non-fuzzy cloth (like from a t-shirt). Allowing some bleeding can reduce the risk of infection. If bleeding is heavy apply pressure immediately. If bleeding does not stop after ~10 minutes of even pressure seek medical attention.

If the bite has broken the skin, clean your hand then rinse the wound(s) with saline or warm water to remove any debris. Use anti-septic to clean the wound. Dry the area well with a clean cloth that will not get fluff in the wound.
You do not need to use an antibiotic ointment (i.e. Neosporin) for a clean, not infected wound. Overuse of antibiotic ointment can cause bacterial resistance.
If a wound needs stitches (see above), seek immediate medical attention at A&E. If you cannot seek medical attention, use steri-strip, butterfly bandages, or zip-stitches to close the wound. These can also be used for more minor wounds where the edges of cut do not meet. Compound Benzoin Tincture can be used to help wound closures stick to the skin; apply a thin layer to the edges (not inside) of the cut and allow to dry before applying wound closure strips. Apply gauze or another wound covering on top of any steri-strips, butterfly bandages or zip stitches.
If the wound does not need stitches, use a plaster (band-aid), non-stick gauze, or other bandage to cover the wound. Keeping a wound dressed is important for healing and protecting it from getting dirt and infected. You do not need to 'air out' a wound, this increases risk of infection and slows healing.

Bites can also often cause bruising, even if it has not broken the skin. You can read about how to treat bruising and other injures here.

Change wound dressings daily, or if they become dirty or wet. Steri-strips, butterfly bandages, and zip stitches can be left on till they fall off or until wound has healed. Check for signs of infection when you change dressings (see above). Never reuse dressings and avoid picking at the wound.
If the wound becomes dirty, clean it with warm water and non-fragranced soap before redressing the wound.