It is best said that to treat a wound properly, it must be first cleansed thoroughly and kept clean and hygienic. It matters not whether the wound or wounds are a real time war wound or it is made by a sharp knife or even a rusty nail by a person who stepped onto a board inadvertently at a construction site or home cottage site. 99 % of the time cleanliness is the major and chief factor in healing and total healings. To clean a severe wound, however it is not a simple procedure and it is better to let a doctor or nurse practitioner do the work , if at all humanely possible. On top of that although well meaning it has been found that strong disinfectants are liable to damage the tissues themselves so much that the well meaning procedure often markedly delays healing and the healing process. War wounds and other severe wounds that have had nothing more by way of way of first aid than a compress , bandage and bandaging have been found professionally both by experienced medical staff and even as noted in peer review surgical care journals to have fared much better under later surgical care than those that have had the heroic yet misguided approach applied to them of acute care of the wound and troubled areas whereby they have been probed , scrubbed and disinfected by well meaning yet novice first aid and first aid attending staff members.
It can be said that small abrasions, shallow cuts and scratches that do not find their way or get through the skin organ system can benefit by being disinfected however.
In most cases these cuts, areas and small scratches and abrasion are highly unlikely to get to a doctor’s care and surgery anyways. Standard household and first aid disinfectant solutions and products readily available at a corner drug store or pharmacy will suffice. Hydrogen peroxide, povidone iodine (Betadine) and actual tincture of iodine are several products available in many forms and formats for this purpose as an antiseptic.
Lastly it can be said that when it comes to treating wounds that the chief dangers of wounds come from hemorrhage, shock and infection; and the most serious types of infections are those that result in gas gangrene or tetanus, medical surgeons warn with great note. In these situations and events the affected person should be transported to medical care at once. The sad part is that some of the complications of events manifest themselves at once, others not for several days later in time.
Thus it is always the part of wisdom and experienced medical advice therefore to give the wounded person or persons the benefit of expert’s medical care and attention as soon and early as humanely possible.