Pommie Travels

How To Care For Wounds In Bali

Until I had my motorbike accident in Bali, I had never really had any serious wounds before. Obtaining wounds whilst  abroad can be stressful, not only because you suddenly can’t go to the beach, explore or swim in the sea  but  particularly as you are really susceptible to infection. If you’re travelling alone and it can be frustrating to have to get on planes, buses, carry backpacks and find hospitals and treatment with no-one around to help. Good wound care is essential to make sure it doesn’t ruin your trip. In Bali in particular, the main problems are motorbike accidents and reef cuts if you’re a surfer. So I thought I’d share with you my tips and tricks for caring for wounds in Bali and these in generally apply to travellers anywhere in the world.

• If it’s serious, make sure you seek medical attention- Bali has a couple of tourist hospitals, most notably BIMC or SOS International, so if you have travel insurance or medical cover it is best to go there. If you don’t have cover, the general hospital, Sanglah, in Denpasar is very good and there are several hospitals and 24 hour clinics around Bali. I was cleaned up for around 40 USD.
• Don’t use hydrogen peroxide- This clear liquid has been widely used for years to clean wounds; on touching wounds this clear liquid fizzes and reacts with the dirt. However it is acknowledged now that hydrogen peroxide is bad for the new cells that are growing.
• Don’t shower or go swimming- It’s pretty obvious but the water abroad can contain bacteria that can lead to infection, so try to put plastic bags over your feet, wear waterproof dressings or cover them in some way if you really have to shower. Don’t go surfing or swimming until your wounds have healed properly otherwise you’ll be back to square one.
• Clean the wounds- Clean the wounds with a damp pad and some sodium chloride or bottled water. Then put an antiseptic like Betadine or the stronger chinese iodene onto the wound to dry it up.
• Oral antibiotics and antibiotic cream- Take antibiotics orally to prevent infection; in Bali you can buy any antibiotic over the counter. Pharmacies in Bali will have a sign saying ‘Apotek’ outside and the main chain is Kimia Farma, who can do home delivery. Amoxycillin is quite weak so if you have a bad wound you might want to try something stronger like Cyprofloxacin. Purchase an antibiotic cream or powder to apply to the surface of the wound.
• Dress the Wounds Properly- It is tempting to want to let the wounds dry out and get air to them. But letting the humid air get to your wounds can again lead to infection so it’s best to cover them in some way. And a moist wound actually heals better with less scarring than if you let a scab form. Usually when you go to the hospital they will use Bactigras, which is a gauze treated with antibiotic, and then cover that with gauze and tape. However if you have wounds that are weeping a lot of pus and there is a lot of drainage, you might want to try something that won’t stick. I had many painful times attempting to pull off the gauze whilst trying not to rip off the scabs and new skin. So I tried transparent waterproof dressings with pads, which worked pretty well and didn’t stick. For my deep wounds I also found Duoderm, an opaque rubbery dressing that creates a moist wound healing environment. It protects the wound from outside bodies and also promotes faster healing and you can leave it on for around 7 days. If you’re going to use normal gauze, it’s best to change the first one after the initial accident then leave the next one on a clean wound for around 5 days so that it doesn’t rip off any new scabs.
• For scarring try zinc and castor oil, which is used for babies nappy rash. In Bali you can also purchase Bioplacenton, which contains placenta extract to help heal wounds, burns and scars.
• Make sure when you do heal to put sunblock on your scars so they don’t discolour.
• Take Vitamin C supplements, drink plenty of water and eat healthily.
• Learn to relax- If you’re suddenly bed ridden like I was it can be very boring, especially when everyone else is outside in the sun, so it’s best to just try to relax and go with the flow and accept that you won’t be doing much for a while. I started reading, watching movies and trying to get ahead on my work. Little things like doing a crossword, playing a board game etc can lift your spirits a bit and keep your mind occupied.
• Make sure you have take-away numbers and taxi numbers stored in your phone!
• If you’re into that kind of stuff, then try going to a medicine healer. I’ve heard some great stories about a couple of healers in Canggu and Ubud that have worked wonders for people.