APPLYING ANTIBIOTIC POWDER ON FRESH WOUNDS TO AID HEALING CRUDE, CAN LEAD TO ULCERATION – SURGEON
A Professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mike Ogirima, has cautioned Nigerians against applying antibiotic powder on fresh wounds, noting that the practice cannot aid healing.
Prof. Ogirima noted that applying antibiotic powder to fresh wounds to aid healing is unscientific, noting that those indulging in are only wasting their money and exposing the wounds to ulceration and possible infection.
According to the orthopaedic surgeon, there is no scientific backing for treating fresh wounds with antibiotic powder, warning that applying such and other local concoctions to fresh wounds could make them degenerate to chronic wounds.
Prof. Ogirima, a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association stated this during an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise.
He blamed illiteracy for the practice of treating fresh wounds with antibiotics, noting that anybody indulging in the act is ignorant of how to manage wounds.
The professor urged patients with wounds to seek appropriate treatment from physicians, noting that seeking treatment from quacks could cause other serious complications.
He explained, “Wounds are generally a defect in the skin. When there is a defect in the skin whether it is an intentional defect or accidental, that will cause the exposure of the underlying structure under the skin.
“Applying concoction and all sorts of things on wounds is quackery. If you don’t know what you are treating, that means you don’t have the basics of treating it.
“Wounds have different categories and any wound that persists in the body for more than six weeks is called a chronic wound. We also have acute wounds.
“Now, the treatment for fresh cuts on the skin is different. There is a lot of illiteracy and ignorance in the practice where people begin to apply all sorts of things that are unorthodox on a fresh cut.
“Ideally, a fresh wound once inflicted by a surgeon or accidental should be cleaned and apposed.”
He explained that there are different categories of the sizes of wounds that might need to be assisted to aid their healing.
He noted that the human body can naturally heal any type of wound.
“We have that natural ingredient in the body that will heal any wound.”
“We have that natural ingredient in the body that will heal any wound.”
“But when we need to assist in the healing process, there are several factors that we need to follow to aid in the healing of a wound.”
“The factors include; attending to the wound at the shortest possible time, closing the wound if it was cleaned, and the procedure for closing the wound varies with surgical procedures.”
“So, the idea of having all sorts of substances either ampicillin powder, antibiotic powder, or any other type of powder at all does not exist.”
@ Punch Newspaper
