Small cuts and grazes generally heal well with washing, keeping them clean and covered, and do not need antibiotics. The body clears most minor contamination on its own.
Antibiotics may be needed for infected wounds or skin infections such as cellulitis, signalled by spreading redness, warmth, swelling, increasing pain, pus, or fever. A clinician should assess these and decide on treatment, which may be a cream or tablets depending on severity.
Seek urgent care if redness spreads quickly, you develop a fever, the area becomes very painful or numb, you see dark or blistering skin, or you have a weakened immune system or diabetes, as infections can progress fast.