If you were injured by a piece of metal and you are in a debate of whether or not you should go to the medical center or not, you need to know not to take the injury lightly. If you have punctured the skin and you don't know if the metal is clean or dirty, or you know that the metal is old and rusty, a family healthcare clinic is the first place you need to go, no matter what time of the day it is. Here are some of the things that you want to have them do right away.

1. Check for Infection

Right away you want to get to the clinic and try to bring in the item that lacerated the skin so the medical professional can look at it. If you are at the risk of infection or if the wound already looks dirty or like there is discoloration, or because of the type of wound, you may need to go on an antibiotic right away. Get to the office so you can prevent an infection with an antibiotic if necessary.

2. Get a Tetanus Shot

You want to get a tetanus shot to make sure that you don't contract this disease from the metal and rust puncturing your skin. If you know that you haven't had one of these shots in the last five to seven years, or maybe since you were a child, this is something that you have to get right away.

3. See if Stitches are Necessary

The decision to close the wound will depend on the type of cut or damage that has occurred, and if the wound could be infected or not. The physician won't want to close something that is at a high risk of infection, but if it's cleaned and looks alright, they may use stitches or a medical glue to close the wound.

Make sure that you follow the instructions that are sent home with you from the clinic as closely as possible, so you don't have to return to the facility because the problem or cut has become severe. There are so many different things that can go wrong if you don't take the time to go to the facility and get the wound checked out. A family care facility should be an affordable option to get the treatment that you need, and it's also a way to get quick treatment by a medical professional.

For more information, contact a medical office like Burnsville Family Physicians.