Bruises

Are there any treatment for bruises. What do we need to do when we see bruising?
Homework?

Yep. :: ding-ding-ding ::

OK so if you bruise yourself what do you do about it?

My husband's grandmother always put hydrogen peroxide on her bruises.

This OP is a new nurse, has asked several questions appropriate to new nurse situations in subacute care.For patients, bruises are what they are, I've never known ANYONE to 'treat' them. They actually are a neat little visual marker pointing out where some kind of tissue trauma occured, sort of a natural "HEY LOOK HERE!" for you I can tell you that something that works wonders in PREVENTING a bruise, once you know you've slammed your arm/leg/head into something hard enough to cause a bruise, is topical gel Arnica. I bought tubes of it and had it strewn around the house when my boys were younger; the stuff was a godsend! Instead of getting what I KNEW would be giant black/purple marks, they barely got a yellowish discoloration, if even that. I'm talking head-slammed-to-desk kind of impact....grab and slap on the arnica....voila. No bruise Hydrogen peroxide...?? Sounds a tad nutty to me, but then, I've never tried it

I've worked in a few SNFs and we've always documented, measured, and monitored bruises. No further treatment.

Arnica works and so does a warm moist compress; it does something to help the old blood to be reabsorbed.

Document the bruise, or any injury to the patient's skin....If it's an ER type situation, find out where the bruise care came from as some bruising can be signs of further injury to underlying organs.

If bruising is chronic, check out blood clotting labs.

Quote from mugsAre there any treatment for bruises. What do we need to do when we see bruising?

The bruise is an indication of injury. You don't treat the bruise itself but the underlying injury. Is it just a bruise over a shin of a 9 year old boy, or a "bruise" over the right upper quadrant of an accident victim?

The hydrogen peroxide was absolutely nutty. It didn't do a thing but she was convinced it did. She was always having me put peroxide on cotton balls and rub it on her bruises. You know, because I'm "the nurse in the family."I haven't heard of Arnica so thanks for sharing that. I'll try the warm compress on my kids that get shiners. It's worth a shot!