First aid: splinters and ticks
Clean tweezers, steady pull.
What to do
- Wash your hands and clean the tweezers with an antiseptic wipe.
- For a splinter, grab the end and pull out at the same angle it went in.
- For a tick, grab it close to the skin and pull straight up, slowly. Don't twist or squeeze it.
- Wash the area and cover it. Save the tick in a bag in case a doctor asks.
See a doctor or urgent care if
- The splinter is deep, near the eye, or won't come out
- A rash, bull's-eye mark or fever shows up in the next few weeks
- The spot gets red, warm or swollen
In every Nurse in a Box kit: fine-tip tweezers, antiseptic wipes and bandages, with a registered nurse a tap away if you're not sure what to do.
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General first aid information based on guidance from the American Red Cross, Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. It isn't medical advice and doesn't replace care from a nurse or doctor.