Your child had a fishhook in their skin that was removed. It's important to follow your health care provider's instructions so that the area doesn't get infected. Here's how to care for your child.

• Until the wound heals over:
  • Check the wound every day for signs of infection (redness, swelling, pain, or drainage).
  • Wash the wound twice a day in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry well.
  • Soak the wound in warm water 2–3 times a day for a day or two.
• Follow your health care provider's instructions for:
  • Using any medicines, such as an antibiotic ointment.
  • Whether to cover the wound with a bandage.
  • Giving medicine for pain, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.
  • When to follow up.

• The wound has new or worsening redness, pain, or swelling.
• Pus starts to drain from the wound.
• Your child gets a fever.

How can we prevent future injuries from fishhooks? Be sure that you:

• Store fishhooks in childproof containers out of reach of young kids.
• Don't let young kids fish without a responsible adult there.
• Teach older kids who fish to:
  • Be careful when removing a fish from a hook or ask for help from an adult.
  • Avoid walking barefoot while fishing.
  • Look around to make sure the area is clear before they cast their line.