Shabbos First Aid: When May One Use a Plaster or Cream?

Hi,
 I have this question, I was at a Shabbaton and I cut my finger while preparing the salad. I wanted to use a plaster and some antibacterial cream for my cut, but I wasn’t sure if I could use a new plaster on Shabbos or use the cream. So I asked the rabbanim who were at the Shabbaton, and everyone was giving me a different psak. Some said you can’t use a new plaster, some said you can but not put cream on. So can you please give me an authoritative psak from HaRav Fried on what one may or may not do in such a situation.
 Thank you for this amazing service, I really appreciate the clear and detailed answers that you write - יישר כח.

Thank you for your question.

As you see, it can be complicated since this can involve a few melachos like Socheit, Tolesh, Tofer, and doing refuah on Shabbos. So I would like to give you guidance based on the psak of Moreinu HaRav Amrom Fried שליט"א.

We’ll start with the question of whether one may use a plaster on Shabbos.

It is best that one takes out the plaster and unpeels the leaves and then sticks it back on before Shabbos. This is because it may be Makeh B’patish. However, HaGaon HaRav Fried says that one may use a new plaster on Shabbos if it wasn’t prepared beforehand.

When placing the plaster on the wound, one should be careful that the plaster does not overlap, since by sticking the plaster onto the plaster there would be an issue of Tofer. Therefore, it is best, let's say on a finger for example, to stick it along the finger, rather than tying it around the finger, or one could stick it around the finger in a diagonal manner so that the two ends won’t overlap.

With regard to using antibacterial cream, there are two issues involved: one is Socheit and one is refuah on Shabbos.

Regarding Socheit: one may not place the antibacterial cream on the bandage, since that would cause a melachah of Socheit. Rather, one should place the cream on the wound and not rub the cream, just tap the cream on the wound and then place the bandage.

When is it permitted to apply the cream on Shabbos?
Generally, we do not apply any cream on Shabbos, since it involves melachos such as memareiach by rubbing it on one’s skin, or even on the bandage. Even if one does not rub the cream, there is still the issue of gezeiras shechikas samemanim, that one may not do anything which is considered a form of refuah on Shabbos (as long as he is not a choleh). There is also an issue of muktzah, since if the cream was not needed on Erev Shabbos, it would be muktzah during Shabbos.

Based on the above, one is permitted to place the cream on the wound in the manner mentioned earlier only in one of the following two circumstances:

1.      It could become infectious, which would be pikuach nefesh, and therefore permitted.

2.     If a person is suffering from pain caused by the wound, to the point that it causes him to lie in bed, then it would also be permitted, since he would be considered a choleh she’ein bo sakana.

These two examples would be permitted in the way we described above. And so, if it is a little cut or scrape where there is no concern for infection, one may place a plaster, but without the antibacterial cream.

Taking off an old plaster

One may take off an old plaster, since it is not considered a psik reysheh that one will for sure pull out hairs, which would be a melacha of Toylesh.

Stopping the bleeding

One may stop the bleeding by applying just enough pressure, either by hand or by placing a plaster as described earlier, since stopping the bleeding is not considered maaseh refuah.

Although, it is important to note that one should not apply too much pressure that would squeeze out more blood.

Wishing you well.

Pesakim Of Hagaon Harav Amrom Fried shelitah