Wound Care & Minor Procedures in Loxahatchee, FL

What to expect

• Tell staff how and when the injury happened, and when you last had a tetanus shot if you know
• Your provider looks at the wound and decides what it needs, which may be cleaning, drainage, or stitches
• Care instructions for home, including what to watch for as it heals
• A follow-up visit if your provider wants to check healing or remove stitches

Wound or emergency: how to tell

MedlinePlus says to call 911 when bleeding is severe or cannot be stopped, for example after 10 minutes of direct pressure, or when the person cannot feel or move the injured area. Those belong in an emergency room. A cut that has stopped bleeding but is open, a painful lump that may be an abscess, or stitches that are due to come out are the kinds of problems a primary care visit can handle.

When a cut probably needs stitches

According to MedlinePlus, a wound may need stitches if it is more than a quarter inch deep, is on the face, or reaches the bone, and it also advises contacting a provider right away for any wound that is large or deep even when the bleeding is mild. Dirty or rusty objects, bites, and a nail through the foot are on the same list. If your cut fits any of these, call before the wound has been open for hours.

Signs that a wound is getting infected

MedlinePlus lists warmth and redness in the area, a painful or throbbing feeling, fever, swelling, a red streak extending from the wound, and pus-like drainage as signs of infection. If you see any of them, call the office the same day. An abscess, a collection of pus under the skin, is one of the problems that sometimes needs to be drained in the office, and your provider decides at the visit whether that is the right step.

Why Dr. Sareen's background matters here

Dr. Sareen's biography on this site notes that he brings emergency-room experience into his approach to primary care. For a patient, the practical meaning is simple: someone who has seen many injuries is examining yours, in an office where your chart is already open and your medicines, allergies, and conditions are on the screen.

Your tetanus record

MedlinePlus notes that contact with a provider is advised if you have not had a tetanus shot within the last 10 years and that a tetanus vaccine is generally recommended every 10 years. Many people cannot remember their last one. Bring any vaccine record you have, or tell the provider your best estimate, and the provider decides whether a booster is appropriate for the wound in front of them.

What to bring and what to say

Bring a list of your medicines, and say if you take a blood thinner, because it can change how a wound is managed. Bring discharge papers if stitches were placed somewhere else. If you have diabetes, say so, since the practice's diabetes management team can read a slow-healing wound alongside the rest of your care.

Coming from The Acreage, Royal Palm Beach, or Wellington

The Southern Blvd office is the closest of the practice's offices for much of the western side of the county. If you are closer to the coast, the same procedures are offered at the West Palm Beach office. The practice's overall wound care page explains how the service works across offices.

Who you'll see in Loxahatchee

Dr. Gurpreet Singh Sareen, MD

Founding Physician — Loxahatchee

Sources

• MedlinePlus — Cuts and Puncture Wounds

Also offered at our Loxahatchee office

• Family & Internal Medicine
• Preventive Care & Chronic Disease Management
• Diabetes Management
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Management
• Joint Injections
• Thyroid Care

See Wound Care & Minor Procedures across all our offices, or view the full Loxahatchee office page.