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Suggest Treatment For A Wound Caused By A Cat Scratch

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Posted on Mon, 3 Jul 2017
Question: My wife was scratched by our cat and the wound is festering. It is red and continues to bleed. Used Peroxide and Hibiclens with gause pads. Would the Cipro we have help until we bring her to a doctor tomorrow?
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Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (43 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Management of cat scratch wound

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for trusting HealthcareMagic

You should clean the cat scratch area thoroughly using soap and water. Use cold water to rinse the area, as hot water can worsen bleeding.
Apply pressure on bleeding site with gauze and elevate the forearm above the level of heart to stop bleeding. If the bleeding is still not stopping, you should seek medical care as this may indicate a more deeper injury.
If you do not know the vaccination history of the cat ,it is important to get tetanus and rabies vaccine done.
Ciprofloxacin is not the antibiotic of choice for cat scratch. I recommend that you do not need to take oral antibiotic at this point
You can apply Neosporin ointment at the cat scratch site. Depending on the depth and severity of wound, your doctor can decide the need for oral antibiotics. The oral antibiotic of choice for cat scratch is Augmentin.

Hope this answers your question
Please address further questions here
Regards
Dr.Lekshmi
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Answered by
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Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3808 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For A Wound Caused By A Cat Scratch

Brief Answer: Management of cat scratch wound Detailed Answer: Hello, Thank you for trusting HealthcareMagic You should clean the cat scratch area thoroughly using soap and water. Use cold water to rinse the area, as hot water can worsen bleeding. Apply pressure on bleeding site with gauze and elevate the forearm above the level of heart to stop bleeding. If the bleeding is still not stopping, you should seek medical care as this may indicate a more deeper injury. If you do not know the vaccination history of the cat ,it is important to get tetanus and rabies vaccine done. Ciprofloxacin is not the antibiotic of choice for cat scratch. I recommend that you do not need to take oral antibiotic at this point You can apply Neosporin ointment at the cat scratch site. Depending on the depth and severity of wound, your doctor can decide the need for oral antibiotics. The oral antibiotic of choice for cat scratch is Augmentin. Hope this answers your question Please address further questions here Regards Dr.Lekshmi