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I scuffed the back of my leg last Wednesday morning but didn't notice until I got home and the jeans were stuck to the blood when I removed them. I washed the area and slapped some Savlon on and went to bed.
I used Savlon of a day or two and then some Vaseline occasionally when I remembered but it looks like it is now infected - see photo.
My body is normally quite good at healing trivial scratches like this so not sure what to do about this one. Savlon doesn't seem enough but is it work bothering the Dr for antibiotics or something?
Wire brush and dettol.....
a diabetes test perhaps ?
Scuffed? What with? an angle grinder?
Absolutely get it checked out asap.
If you do go down the wire brush and Dettol route, may I also suggest you go buy a wooden spoon and a bottle of rum.
Thats a bot fly hole
[pi]a diabetes test perhaps ?[/] Tested regularly and recently after a bad result last summer. I am now very healthy thank you.
Scuffs against the pedal of a Santander bike in London as I stepped back from the pay machine to let a very rushed and angry looking man use it first. Didn't really notice at the time but it is the only thing I can thing of - unless a rat nibbled my leg while I was sat on the train of course.
Dettol and wire brush be damned - it was bad enough peeling the jeans off after 8 hours of blood dried onto them and then scrubbing the area to clean it just to find the actual cut among the dried blood.
I don't understand what the vaseline was expected to do - stop it drying out and forming a scab?
[i]Thats a bot fly hole[/i] - No, they are smaller and more round and raised in my experience
[i]I don’t understand what the vaseline was expected to do – stop it drying out and forming a scab?[/i]
The fastest and least scarring way I have found to treat small scratches is 2-3 days of Savlon a couple of times a day to clear infection and then Vaseline to speed and ease the healing. It stops the cut becoming itchy so you don't scratch it, it covers it from fresh infection and skin heals quicker in the slight moisture rather than simply exposed to the air
I have always assumed that a small scratch doesn't need anything. Your body should be able to deal with it unaided. Apart from maybe a bit of initial cleaning.
That’s infected. I’d have disinfected and covered in gel dressing to aid skin growth. Now it’s detol, wire wool and eventually IV antibiotics. I’d certainly be thinking iodine and a proper clean out. And cover it up.
I would get it checked, I’m guessing that redness is expanding?
As you said, Vaseline can be really useful for wound healing and keeping wounds moist and covered helps them heal.
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injured-skin/burns/wound-care-minimize-scars
I washed with scrubbing brush and soapy water to clear off the dried blood to find the actual cut - the trouble was that this was at 10pm and the cut probably happened about 8:30am so I guess it was already infected by then and the Savlon didn't cope.
Is it easy to pick up iodine or better to see the Dr / practice nurse and get him/her to do it?
[i]I have always assumed that a small scratch doesn’t need anything. Your body should be able to deal with it unaided. Apart from maybe a bit of initial cleaning.[/i]
Mostly agree. Clean and Savlon to start it. The vasaline is mostly to stop the itching but does act a bit like the gel dressings TiRed mentions
Reckon that needs looking at.
DIY I'd want to clean it out properly (because it looks like you haven't), slap a hydrocolloid dressing on it, and dope up on Ibuprofen.
But the size of the red area concerns me, I think you may be heading towards antibiotics territory.
Clean it out with disinfectant and dress with 50/50 solution of water/tea tree oil under a bandage and get yourself to your local docs/clinic when you can.
Pedal pin scratches/wound can get infected with all sorts of nasty bacteria very quickly, would you wipe the sole of your shoe on an open wound?.
Washed out properly.
Disinfected with diluted Dettol - it is what I have available.
Dressed with Savlon and one of those non-sticking dressings they use over open wounds - left over from last proper cut.
Dr informed and phot sent to get his advice.
Where it is completely out of sight to me, unless I stick my leg out and twist around, and it doesn't hurt I have been a little slack with cleanliness and maintenance of it. MrsWCA has been in bed after her knee op so she hasn't been performing her normal observations and it seems to have festered.
Hopefully all is sorted now but if I do die I will get MrsWCA to update the thread
Thanks All