Incision Care: Abdomen
Dressing your incision helps keep it clean, dry, and infection-free. That way it will heal faster. Follow the steps below.
1. Wash Your Hands and Set Up
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Use liquid soap. Lather for
1–2 minutes. Scrub between your fingers and under your nails. -
Rinse with warm water, keeping fingers pointing down. Use a clean paper towel to dry your hands and turn off the faucet.
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Put all your supplies on a clean cloth or paper towel. Open a plastic trash bag.
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Peel back the edges of the dressing packages. Pour any irrigation solutions into solution cups.
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Clean the scissors with soap and water. Cut each piece of tape
4 inches longer than the dressing.
2. Remove the Old Dressing
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Put on disposable gloves.
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Loosen the tape by pulling gently toward the incision. Remove the dressing one layer at a time. Put it right into the plastic bag.
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Remove your gloves and put them in the plastic bag. Wash your hands again, as described above. Then put on new gloves.
Call Your Doctor If You Have:
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If your incision suddenly opens.
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Bleeding from the incision, or an increase in its size.
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Increased redness, swelling, or drainage.
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Pain in or around the incision.
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Change in the color of the incision.
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Fever over
101.0°F , or chills.
3. Clean and Dress the Incision
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Clean the incision and apply a new dressing as directed.
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Put all used supplies in the plastic bag.
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Remove your gloves last and put them in the bag.
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Seal the bag and put it in the trash.
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Be sure to wash your hands again.
