I have an infected cut on my finger and it's only getting worse, what can I !
Question: I had an inch long two centimeter wide cut on my pointer finger. It probably needed stitches, but I was embarrassed because I got it playing with scissors, and I didn't even tell my mom. A week later it's yellow, crusty, and has a huge hole in the middle that gushes nasty looking stuff. I've been using alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide for a week now, but it's only getting worse. What can I do?
Answers: I had an inch long two centimeter wide cut on my pointer finger. It probably needed stitches, but I was embarrassed because I got it playing with scissors, and I didn't even tell my mom. A week later it's yellow, crusty, and has a huge hole in the middle that gushes nasty looking stuff. I've been using alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide for a week now, but it's only getting worse. What can I do?
Well now....let me tell you what I tell patients on the street I see every day that have cuts that may require stitches.....get it stitched. Typically when one has a cut large enough to require stitches it needs to be done within 48 hours or several things will happen....No.1, it will become infected, No.2 the skin around the edges of the cut (the skin needed on either side) needs to be alive and useful to attach a stitch. It doesn't sound as if you've met both of those conditions. However, it does sound as if it's in need of some....Do not be embarrassed to admit you've done something that you've done before, if it an injury that needs to be addressed, don't wait on it.
The first thing I'd say to you if you called us out to take you to the hospital is......."Why did you wait so long to call us".
Since you've gone this far with it, it will need to be cleaned and can be done without much pain at all. Once it's cleaned a doctor or tech can advise to the length and type of material used for the stitches. Another problem with waiting and allowing the skin to die a little around the edges is when it's treated you eventually may have a bit larger scar.
Don't wait any longer.....It's not an emergency now, so you can just be a walk in at the ER and they will take care of you.
I cut my knuckle bad when I was a kid. I was trying to open a can of peanuts my mom didn't want me to open just yet and suddenly I needed stitches as well. Of course I didn't want to say just what I did, but there was no hiding it. Admit it, get it fixed and listen to the consequences of my actions...
Clean it, stitch it.....forget it.......move on from there.
Visit the ER, you'll get the stitches and an antibiotic
Well, it seems your doing all you can at home to keep it clean & that's just not working. I think you should go to your doctor before it gets any worse. It's nothing to be embarassed about, just get it taken care of before it gets too bad.
I would put a thick layer of anti-biotic ointment, like neosporin, on it, bandage it, then do to the doctor. Lately there's a big MERSA scare, so any infections that are not improving should be checked by a doctor. Your mom will be more concerened with getting you well than the fact that you did it while playing with scissors.Mersa, while still kind of rare, could be very dangerous.
show your mom--- now ----
An infection like you are talking about here is quite serious and normally you would see a doctor for antibiotics - that's what you should do so something more serious doesn't happen to you. Go and show it to your mom or someone at school tomorrow. Please.
Tell your mom and seek medical attention. You may need antibiotics and/or need the tissue cleaned (debreeded).
Get help soon. You don't want the infection to get worse. Infections can get into your blood stream and cause more trouble or the wound could deepen to the bone. (ex: when the elderly get bedsores) So please tell your mom!
What a coincinence!!!( Read my 360 blog for today, friend.) My fiance went to the hospital, and was treated for this type of thing just today.
No alchohol!!! The doc told us that alcohol will only make it more irritated and inflamed.
Soap and water to clean it, followed by antibiotic salve (like Neosporin or Polysporin)and then guaze and tape to dress it and keep it clean. Then , when you change the dressing, rest a hot,damp,wash cloth on it to draw out the infection( for about twenty mins or more.)
If you start having a fever, see the doctor!!!
Good luck and take care of yourself!
are you a self mutilater? are you engaging in CUTTING? you better get to the doctor and start a regimen of anti-biotics. and stop playing with sharp objects.
you need to go to teh doc right a way. it sound like you have an infection and you dont need it to get any worse. you could have mersa or another type of staph infection