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As well as being struck down by flu this week, I've managed to pick up an alarming infection in my finger...
It started hurting on Tues, by Weds night the tip had almost doubled in size and I was in agony!
Doc prescribed antibiotics on Fri morning, and today its started to turn green :vomit:
Main concern is how is the green expected to get out?!?
Tempted to help it leave by piercing the skin with a sterile needle. Is that a heroic idea or imbecilic?
I bet Ranulph Fiennes would be lopping his fingers off with an axe about now...
Brace yourself, here's the obligatory grim pic...
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Lance it. Film it too. It's going to squirt like something from Alien.
I don’t think I could resist popping with a needle and squeezing that bad boy....
IAMAD
I'm thinking that's something that you might consider getting an expert view on. I'd have expected the antibiotics to be having a good effect after 2 full days, and you don't want it to get worse and spread further if these aren't having the right effect.
But video it if you do go for home surgery, obvs.
Pop it
What's the worst that can happen
How did you even let it go that long WITHOUT lancing it..! Get it done. Soak it in mild saline after or something. Just get the bad out!
Also not a doctor
Off to minor injuries for you they’ll sort that out.
Gross..
Needs a vomit alert on the thread
🤮🤮🤮🤮🥴
Freeze spray then drag a clean needle around/under the nail cuticle.
That’s what they did to me in the hospital.
Might save you a trip, but not necessarily your finger...
That’s a Paronychia, looks to need draining. Sterile needle would be ideal, like Drac says, walk in centre or some GP practices can sort.
was it that tense/pressurised before you started the antibiotic? Has it even reduced a bit?
Antbiotics can't make that pus'n'shit disappear overnight, so it may be working and already be on top of the infection and MAY not need draining. Then again, draining off shit like that does improve speed to resolution - it's a nice little collection there.
... and just for fun:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis
What you on - flucloxacillin ?
Ta for the comments, we have no MIU anymore, so it would need to be A&E at this time of night.
was it that tense/pressurised before you started the antibiotic? Has it even reduced a bit?
It was very swollen before the meds, but has got more so since I started taking them. When I woke this morning there was only a slight trace of green, but there’s loads now...
Yup flux-lox-a-ma-wotsit...
I broke my neck a few years ago and had a halo brace screwed into my skull, the pain of this is comparable! 😖
It was very swollen before the meds, but has got more so since I started taking them. When I woke this morning there was only a slight trace of green, but there’s loads now…
I broke my neck a few years ago and had a halo brace screwed into my skull, the pain of this is comparable! 😖
Then get yourself to A&E pdq. Sounds as if the anti biotics aren't working and I'd be worried about the infection spreading into your blood never mind the pain!
Just pop it.
Well then, now might be a good time - the footy/rugby injuries might have mostly gone through and the pissheads are probably just warming up !
It's the spread of the swelling & area of redness that really matters
What you can’t tell from the pic is that it’s my wedding ring finger, which has been getting gradually more snug as the weekend has gone on.
Once Vs Jr has gone to bed, I think I’ll take the A&E advice.
... my money's on an increase in your dose, too
I would of popped that ages ago! But that may not be the best course of action.
If you or medical staff lance it, make sure you video it!
Hmmm, a stiff Gin, a bowl of warm saline, stick your finger in it to increase the pressure to near bursting and then stab randomly with a clean needle till rewarded with a green fountain.
Off to minor injuries for you they’ll sort that out.
Would you mind if I just called you out for say this this as often as you do, whilst I appreciate the underlying problems.
I injured my finger this year. With the sound of not clogging up A&E in my mind, mainly from here, I went to a minor injuries instead. Was swollen and a bit wonky.
The dickhead nurse told me to just go away. I then ended up going back a week later to the same place as I was concerned. They identified a break; a bad one. They referred me to the hand unit, where I was seen 4 weeks later.
I now have an extremely knackered (as bad as you can nearly imagine) finger because of the delays, which is going to cause me trouble for the rest of my life..
My surgeon is already suggesting PIP joint replacement or fusing; hardly ideal at 41 years old - and totally unnecessary from the initial injury.
If I had gone to A&E, I would have been treated properly there and then & impact on me would have been much less severe.
TL;DR, A&E sometimes is the answer and the above certainly looks worthy of the specialist care available there.
Seriously get to a&e. Friend of mine has had 4 months of hell, nearly losing her finger, started exactly like that
Have you considered that the flu might not have been flu but the reaction to whatever got into your finger?
Have you considered that the flu might not have been flu but the reaction to whatever got into your finger?
Vs jr brought back a lurgy from a weekend away with her friends (all the kids got ill), I caught it within 24hrs. I think the flu poss lowered my immune system making me more susceptible to finger-based Black Death.
Popped it yet?
Would you mind if I just called you out for say this this as often as you do, whilst I appreciate the underlying problems.
No but let’s consider your example of one over my training, 30 years experience of assessing, diagnosing, treating patients plus a number of years of clinical advice by phone to other staff. Then we’ll let others judge.
A&E sometimes is the answer and then above certainly looks worthy of the specialist care available there.
He’s on antibiotics all it needs now is further assessment and possibly lanced, a MIU can do that easily it’s what the specialise in.
You sanctimonious shit.
My example of one has changed my life forever, because I didn't go to A&E.
You did ask and cheers for the appreciation. It would seem it was you colleague who advised you to go to MIU.
It’s a crap outcome for you though.
whoa . No need for that . everyone is entitled to an opinion .
op , just stick a sewing needle in the gas ring , then pop tha bad boy several times over
Big squeeze will have you seeing stars , and the TCP rinse will do as well
Then germolene and bandage it , be fine , or not
i went to A & E once. " I have snapped my UCL again " , umm no , its just a sprain.
5 days later returned , "Oh , youve snapped your UCL , I can see from the scar you have done it before ...." fanks
I didn't ask for anything, but my decision not to go to A&E was largely influenced by your incessant posting to not bother A&E.
So take that on board, or don't.
My example of one has changed my life forever, because I didn’t go to A&E.
In fairness; your example of poor treatment from an MIU nurse doesn’t mean all MIUs are bad. ED docs and nurses (and even paramedics😱😉) eff up too; they’re also human. That being said, I’m not a massive fan of the MIU concept. However with NHS funding as it is, it’s what we’ve got, especially in more remote or rural communities.
I didn’t ask for anything, but my decision not to go to A&E was largely influenced by your incessant posting to not bother A&E.
So take that on board, or don’t.
You didn’t come on here asking for advice on it , I did not offer you advice what so ever, you clearly said it was based on your colleague. Another nurse may have given you different advice.
A GP once told me I had growing pains, it went on for years work paid private for me to see another Dr. A few weeks later I was in hospital having a tumour removed from my femur. I blame that one GP not others in the NHS.
Go to the ED. That looks to me like it’s past the point where lancing it at home will work. Might even need a washout on the trauma list.
And if they can lance it, they’ll have access to proper analgesia.
I had far worse many years ago from a splinter that went under my nail cuticle - friend's mother was a district nurse and supervised - dunked in hot saline to soften up the tissue followed by hot sterilised needle did the trick and the pain relief was immediate.
Yup similar from a splinter as kid Dove except it was my dad who sorted it.
I’d love to pop that! Hope you get sorted op.
you clearly said it was based on your colleague
I'm assuming you've trawled through my posts to find that comment. It was a colleague that suggested I needed to get it looked at. After that I was in the hands <pun> of the NHS.
You're clearly just going to dismiss my original suggestion you rein in on the avoiding A&E suggestion, as politely as I tried to make it, and instead point out how much experience you have - so this is all kind of pointless.
You're a paramedic, not a doctor.
Shitting hell that hurt!
A&E def the correct call.
Nurse, pass the scotch!
I used to get that when i was younger from biting my fingernails right down, doctors advice was soak in warm saline until you can pop it, then try and swill it out with same. Worked every time.
Glad it worked out.
Don't **** about, if it feels like an emergency, A&E...
...don't give a **** about congestion. We need to fund it properly.
You’re clearly just going to dismiss my original suggestion you rein in on the avoiding A&E suggestion, as politely as I tried to make it
In fairness to Drac, he’s always on message and bob on regarding what stuff could be seen at an MIU vs ED. If he didn’t advise on your injury you can hardly hold him to account for advising on OTHER issues. The fact that you’ve transposed his advice to others to your different situation is kinda on you, really. That being said, the MIU probably should have been able to get your treatment right.
…don’t give a **** about congestion. We need to fund it properly.
You’re certainly not wrong about the funding thing, and in an ideal world loads of MIUs should be replaced by fully fledged EDs. But, y’know, Tories ideology/cold hard economic truths* and stuff...
However, the good thing about MIUs when used appropriately is that you’ll generally be seen and treated more quickly and efficiently because more significantly ill/injured people won’t be continually jumping the queue in front of you due to triaging.
*delete dependent upon political viewpoint
You’re clearly just going to dismiss my original suggestion you rein in on the avoiding A&E suggestion, as politely as I tried to make it, and instead point out how much experience you have – so this is all kind of pointless.
I gave you a detailed reply of how I come to my conclusions Vs you making up it was people on here who advised you to go to MIU, I’m actually very cautious on advice I give on here.
Done it yet?
You’ll not be picking your nose for awhile verses glad it’s sorted.
If you go to MIU when you should have gone to A&E, that's not a failing either of your decision or any advice you received, it's a failing of the MIU in not referring you straight to A&E. And if I'm being cynical, a symptom of of the under-resourced NHS in general.
OP, glad you got it sorted. How you managed not to DIY it with a needle I don't know, I wouldn't have been so restrained.
Cat puss
The bad kind
That's an impressive bandage....
Which needs eyes and a smiley mouth.
Too late to suggest amputation from the neck down
Middle child had something g similar few weeks back. Used magnesium sulfate and savlon sorted it in a couple of days. It piped on its own and kept it clean.
Well done op. Looks gnarly. What did they say caused it?
Did it turn out to be cat aids?
We've seen before and after.
Disappointing lack of during.
Bit more detail.
- Had to wait less than 2hrs - Sun eve def seems a good time to visit A&E. Our MIU closed about 10 years ago
- Had to choose between anaesthetic or keeping my wedding ring - the anaesthetic would make the finger swell up even more than it already was. I decided to keep the ring - and just use gas and air. Ow...
- Gas and air does sod all, I'm fairly sure it's just there to give you something to bite down on while Wolverine slices your finger to ribbons
- I chose to look the other way while he milked my finger (euphemism patent-pending) but the state of the cloth my hand had been on was horrific. There was a good 10inch splatter of brown-ish/red-ish gunge - I didn't Instagram it...
- Doc confirmed to me that it was too far gone to pop of its own accord and A&E was the right choice
What did they say caused it?
Can't be certain, but prob either;
- Me cutting my nails too short and the sharp edge of the nail piercing the skin
or
- Me cutting/biting the loose bits of skin that you get by your nail
Either would leave enough of an open wound for bacteria to get in. I'm guilty of both
Bandage removal update...
Significantly less pain and swelling, still not looking great though.
In my professional opinion, an alien is going to burst out of that and infect the rest of us. I’m afraid we have no other choice but to vent you out the airlock.
Nuke me from orbit, it's the only way to be sure...
Nuke from orbit? It’s the only way to be sure!
Too slow
I had this happen on my neck a few years ago. I think an ingrown hair started it. I flew to Germany for work for a week and it got worse a and worse
I was so Ill when I got back on the Friday. Went to A&E at 11pm and was booked in at 2am. Pumped full of anti biotic but that didn’t help.
A doc sat me down next day to “milk it” he anaesthetised it then set to work slicing and scooping out the crap. I could feel every slice and his little scooper going down into my neck. It was only after he told me infected skin doesn’t numb very well. I was left a sweating wreck after!
A couple of days of no change and I was readmitted, they put me under and sliced the whole thing off. It went well but I was left with a keloid scar that was massive, horrible thing! It’s taken years to get it to go down! Loads of bio oil and occasionally the pedegg foot sander!
I think I was fairly close to blood poisoning etc, not a good time really
In fairness; your example of poor treatment from an MIU nurse doesn’t mean all MIUs are bad
It doesn’t but the majority are not great, as the talented good staff are all working in A&E
That’s from being on the patient end of MIU’s and experience of a surgeon dealing with mopping up lots of poor MIU diagnosis.
I wouldn’t have mucked around with a finger like that. Mate of mine nearly died from similar. Finger started to swell, thought he’d be ok, 6 hrs later in A&E with it tracking up his arm, 7hrs later in emergency surgery for compartment syndrome and having half the muscle in his arm removed. 9hrs later hanging on to life by a thread with full on Sepsis.
He was in hospital for 3 weeks. Luckily he’s ok now just missing chunks of his arm
It doesn’t but the majority are not great, as the talented good staff are all working in A&E
Jeepers that is so much bolox
My local hospital the MIU is superb and a much better bet than going to A&E
It doesn’t but the majority are not great, as the talented good staff are all working in A&E
Well that’s a load of shit given they all have the same training, some work between both, some age even located on the same site but above all it’s load of bollocks
Anyway that seems to be healing well verses.
I had this happen on my neck a few years ago.
We can save you from the neck up.
Yeah, no one has a definitive answer why inflamed skin resists local anesthetic.
Possibly something to do with the change in ph.
Some interesting work on mixing lidocaine, capsaicin and cyclodextrin which has shown great potential in mouse studies.