Table 1 Nurse treatment protocol for patients with skin injury

Involvement of head, joints, nerves and/or tendons

Profuse hemorrhage

Report to the police, if violence was involved

No signs of infection or bites

1. Cleansing and disinfection with clorhexidine

2. Moist environment

3. Suture, if needed (open injuries of less than 6 hours).

4. Haemostasis, if needed.

5. If pain, paracetamol 500 mg tid, as needed

6. Tetanus prophylaxis, if needed.

Signs of infection or bite injury

1. Cleansing and disinfection with clorhexidine.

2. Moist environment

3. No suture

4. Haemostasis, if needed

5. If pain, paracetamol 500/1,000 mg qid, as needed.

6. Tetanus prophylaxis, if needed. In bites, consider rabies prophylaxis

7. Amoxycillin-clavulanic acid 500/125 mg tid for 8 days. Erithromycin 500 mg qid for 8 days in patients with known allergy to penicillin.