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First aid · Australia

Cuts and grazes

Apply pressure to stop bleeding, rinse a small wound with clean water and cover it with a clean, non-stick dressing. Deep, dirty, gaping or bite wounds need medical advice.

Medical emergency? Call 000

What to do

  1. Clean your hands

    Wash your hands and use disposable gloves if available.

  2. Stop the bleeding

    Press a clean dressing or cloth firmly onto the wound until bleeding stops. For severe bleeding, call 000 and keep pressure on.

    Take care. Do not pull out a deeply embedded object. Apply pressure around it and get urgent help.

  3. Rinse a minor wound

    Rinse a minor wound with clean running water or saline. Seek help if dirt will not rinse away.

    Take care. Do not treat a deep puncture or bite as a simple graze.

  4. Cover and check healing

    Cover with a clean, non-stick dressing. Replace it when wet or dirty and check healing.

Know when to act

When to get help

  • Call 000 for severe or uncontrolled bleeding, collapse or signs of shock.
  • Get prompt medical assessment for deep or gaping wounds, bites, embedded material, loss of feeling or movement, or wounds that stay dirty.

Children and babies

  • Explain each step and help the child avoid touching or picking the wound.

Keep checking

  • Increasing redness, heat, swelling, pain, pus or fever needs medical advice.
  • Ask a clinician whether a tetanus booster is needed, particularly for dirty or puncture wounds or uncertain vaccination history.

Sources and last update

Content updated: 6 September 2026.

These sources inform the guidance. This independent resource is not a substitute for a first aid course or medical assessment. An editorial update is not independent clinical review. Source organisations have not endorsed this site.

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