With the world fastly falling apart, it is more important than ever to learn some critical survival skills. Such as how to treat a deep wound without stitches. The way things are going, we definitely may have a real-life Purge at some point. Or a zombie apocalypse, for sure. Why else would the Pentagon have a Zombie Defense Plan? Regardless of what comes, it would help if you prepared yourself. You may get a deep wound while taking out your neighbor Taylor during The Purge for all those times he mowed the lawn late at night. Here are some basic steps to show you how to treat a deep wound without stitches.

Step 1. Stop the Bleeding

The first thing to do for all deep wounds is applying direct pressure. If you have a clean bandage or cloth, use that. If possible, keep the part of the body with the wound elevated above your heart. One thing to remember is not to apply pressure and then removing it to check the wound. This will mess up the clotting process. So get pressure on it, and keep it there for about 15 minutes.

If this does not stop the bleeding, you can try to use a tourniquet. A tourniquet is a tight band that blocks blood flow to the part of the body with the wound. This should be used with extreme caution and only used as a last resort. It should only be used in a life-or-death situation as it can still cause damage. Even if it is done correctly, you could lose that limb. So use with caution.

You may go into shock once you stop the bleeding. The symptoms are a rapid pulse; you will feel weak, your skin may look gray & clammy, feeling cool to the touch, and experience nausea and shallow breathing. If so, try not to panic. Lay down on your side, elevate your feet 6 to 10 inches, and try to stay hydrated and warm. 

Step 2. Clean the Wound

Once you have stopped the bleeding and hopefully, you have stayed conscious. You will want to clean the wound. Ensure you do this once the bleeding is under control to prevent infection. If you have tap water, that will work great. Some people say to use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean a deep wound and some caution against it. The argument against it is that most people use too much, harming the tissue and delaying healing. Vodka, however, is better than nothing. Plus, bonus drinks. A little for you, a little for the wound.

Suppose the wound is deep enough to show bone, muscle, or fatty tissue. You will have to get creative to close a wound without stitches. One way to do this is with duct tape or medical tape. Start by cutting ¼ to ½ inch wide strips and make them long enough to extend at least 1 inch beyond each side of the deep wound. Then starting in the middle, apply the strips of tape in pairs. Starting with one side of the damage, pull the strips to the other side of the wound to close it and press them on the skin. Continue to do this until the deep wound is closed.

If you want to get wild and go all Braveheart, you can do cauterization, essentially burning the wound, painful, yes, but a quick way to seal a wound. The other benefit to this is that it will sterilize the wound. 

Step 3. Dress the Wound

After the wound is cleaned and closed, if you have some antibiotic ointment, apply that. Neosporin or vaseline works excellent. The key is to keep the wound from drying out, which can prevent or ease itching and therefore helps it heal faster. Now you are ready to cover the damage. If you have a sterile bandage, use that. If not, gauze. Any first aid kit should have patches or a roll of it. You can wrap it with a bandage or tape the gauze to it.

Step 4. Watch the Wound

It is good to change the wound’s dressing around every 12 hours. When you do this, be very careful not to restart the bleeding. Observe for infection. If the damage starts to swell, ooze, stink, or turn red. If you see any of those things, you will need to reopen the dressing and clean the wound again. When you do that, leave it open, and if possible, it may be time to seek out a professional. Infection can turn into deadly sepsis within six hours if you aren’t careful.

You will want to keep all deep wounds dry for the first 24 to 48 hours. Do not soak the wound. To ease any discomfort, try to keep it above your heart. This will reduce the swelling. You can also ice it. Just put a thin cloth between the wound and the ice. Lastly, take vodka or whiskey for the pain if you don’t have traditional paid medication.

As long as you do all of the above, you should be good to go. You may end up with a gnarly scar, but at least you don’t have to hear Taylor mow the lawn at night anymore.