I'm kind of worried-kalec pls read

araby · Post by **araby** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:22 pm

I never worry about anything at all-which is why when I punctured my finger today with an explorer I didn't do anything more than throw it in sterilization, wash my hands, change gloves and keep going. (with a new one of course.) you're supposed to report these things, blood tests...etc, but I never do that shit. Unless it were a high-risk patient or something..young/single.

today it was a 60 year old married man and the explorer hadn't even gone into his mouth yet-so it wasn't contaminated. I didn't worry about the injury either, it hurt for a second but it's happened before.

now it hurts really bad, it's swollen and hard, and feels like it's going to explode. maybe it's because I typed some...but I other than a short email this is all I've typed..

what's the worse thing that could happen to me? It shouldn't be infected, it was a sterile instrument. it's pretty swollen though-and I can't figure out if I'm making it worse, or if it really is something to worry about.

sucks that I didn't report it, now my doc won't pay for it if I have to go to the doctor. so what I"m asking is what in the world can happen to my finger from sticking it with a sharp object that was sterile?! is it getting swollen and hard because of the puncture and not an infection? because it's the tip of my finger, is that why it's so hard and there isn't anywhere for the swelling to go so it hurts like hell? basically someone tell me not to worry okay?

Tuggan · Post by **Tuggan** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:26 pm

dont worry about it.

Tuggan · Post by **Tuggan** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:36 pm

and im no nurse or anything, but i played with lots of knives and sharp pointed objects and i work with sheet metal for a living, so ive had lots of puncture wounds... but my guess is you popped a vessel. especially if the swelling started like asap after the wound occured.

in my experience the swelling can last anywhere from several hours to a couple days. you probably should have reported it, cause i know i wouldnt want my dental hygenist sticking a swollen creepy finger into my mouth. i dont think you gotta worry about an infection though, i never go to the doctor and ive never had a problem.

Minrott · Post by **Minrott** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:39 pm

Were you gloved when you punctured your finger? Were your hands sterile? There's a number of possibilities. You could have pushed some contaminate that was on your skin inside the wound when the needle went through. You could have contaminated the would after and now it's become infected. How "hard" is it? How painful is it? Is there any inflamation? Is the puncture area the only thing that's painful or is the entire area sensitive? How deep was the puncture?

I wouldn't be terribly worried. I get multiple cuts and punctures on my hands and fingers in my line of work, nearly all of them are dirty or contaminated with any number of things, and nearly all get mild infections. None of them have been anything that a little hydrogen peroxide and neosporin didn't fix.

xKALECx · Post by **xKALECx** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:28 pm

Well even though the instrument was unused at the time it could still be infected. Most small abcesses do not come from contaminated instuments, spider bites, etc... They come from touching them with your fingers later. The number one cause of abcesses/infections in the skin is MRSA. Don't let that scare you. MRSA was once seen as a horrific bug, but now we know how to treat it. Every person in fact carries MRSA in their nostrils and under their fingernails. So when folks start squeezing a puncture/pimple etc.. they are in fact putting the bug into the area. Not pushing it out.

My advice is to see somebody for it if it is red swollen and painful. Get on some Bactrim. It's the only proven antibiotic against common MRSA. Don't let a doctor tell you otherwise. If it's just sore and not swollen then watch it for a couple of days and clean it with Dial soap. Peroxide just breaks things down to make them easier to wash off. It doesnt disinfect a thing.

araby · Post by **araby** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:29 pm

Minrott wrote:Were you gloved when you punctured your finger? Were your hands sterile? There's a number of possibilities. You could have pushed some contaminate that was on your skin inside the wound when the needle went through. You could have contaminated the would after and now it's become infected. How "hard" is it? How painful is it? Is there any inflamation? Is the puncture area the only thing that's painful or is the entire area sensitive? How deep was the puncture?

I wouldn't be terribly worried. I get multiple cuts and punctures on my hands and fingers in my line of work, nearly all of them are dirty or contaminated with any number of things, and nearly all get mild infections. None of them have been anything that a little hydrogen peroxide and neosporin didn't fix.

yes I was gloved, my hands were not sterile but they were clean*and gloved, its pretty "hard" like- the tip of my finger is pretty rigid. It kind of hurts-I have a pretty high threshold but this kind of hurts. yes there is inflammation-that is why it hurts. the entire area is sensitive, and the puncture was probably 2-3mm

araby · Post by **araby** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:31 pm

xKALECx wrote:Well even though the instrument was unused at the time it could still be infected. Most small abcesses do not come from contaminated instuments, spider bites, etc... They come from touching them with your fingers later. The number one cause of abcesses/infections in the skin is MRSA. Don't let that scare you. MRSA was once seen as a horrific bug, but now we know how to treat it. Every person in fact carries MRSA in their nostrils and under their fingernails. So when folks start squeezing a puncture/pimple etc.. they are in fact putting the bug into the area. Not pushing it out.

My advice is to see somebody for it if it is red swollen and painful. Get on some Bactrim. It's the only proven antibiotic against common MRSA. Don't let a doctor tell you otherwise. If it's just sore and not swollen then watch it for a couple of days and clean it with Dial soap. Peroxide just breaks things down to make them easier to wash off. It doesnt disinfect a thing.

what about some clindamycin? I have some of that here-with an antibiotic ointment called mupirocin. would either of those help at all? (asking cause it's what I have here...)

xKALECx · Post by **xKALECx** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:36 pm

Not really if it's a true MRSA infection. I'd ask your boss to write you some. It's extremely cheap too.

Phlegm · Post by **Phlegm** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:05 pm

It sounds like amputation is needed.

Diekan · Post by **Diekan** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:07 pm

i concur. should amputate the entire arm though... just in case.

Harrison · Post by **Harrison** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:10 pm

Puncture wounds shouldn't be treated like normal lacerations. I'd just get it looked at if it worsens in the next 2-3 days.

Watch it closely but don't worry yourself sick over nothing.

xKALECx · Post by **xKALECx** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:46 pm

Harrison wrote:Puncture wounds shouldn't be treated like normal lacerations. I'd just get it looked at if it worsens in the next 2-3 days.

Watch it closely but don't worry yourself sick over nothing.

Very true. Because most lacerations do not get infected. They have an opening to drain and promote natural healing. Puncture wounds on the other hand seal up shortly after they occur.

araby · Post by **araby** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:13 pm

thanks >< I'll watch it for 2 days

Juls · Post by **Juls** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:12 pm

araby how is it? I;ve asked a friend for some professional advise..i hope im not too late

araby · Post by **araby** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:26 pm

It's still sore, and hurts and swollen, so no change. I'll take that as a good sign, since it's been 7 hours. I'm sure I worried over nothing. I just needed someone to tell me that :wink:

Juls · Post by **Juls** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:48 pm

im waiting for my profesional to wake up

she is in a diff country :s

Juls · Post by **Juls** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:32 am

sorry she wasnt profesional but it was the best i could get for free....

- btw does he have a fever (if so then the infection has gone systemic which is more serious) - either way he needs URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION as his finger may still infected (supported by the pain and swelling, "hardness" present) as even though it's a sterile piece of equip that puntured the finger, bacteria may still colonise the open wound no matter how small it seems to the eye, esp if ur friend didnt dress it straight away and just put on a new glove. if there was no possibility of blood bourne infection occuring then a blood test doesnt need to be done, and since it was a sterile piece of equip then a tetanus shot is not needed. (but while on this topic, remind ur friend to make sure his tetanus immunisations are up to date). Has ur friend also checked to see if nothing splintered into the wound?

Elevate the finger (above the heart) and Ice it to reduce swelling and inflammation and pain esp straight away after it happens or within the first 24 hrs will still help. Take some painkillers/analgesics eg. Nurofen Plus(R) - has an antiinflammatory and codeine for extra pain relief and add paracetamol on top if needed. Rest the finger too.

Regarding the ointment he has there's no harm in using it - but the infected finger may not respond to it if the bacteria strain is resistant (no way to tell until a culture test is done - but most doctors will prescribe their P-drugs and on an empirical basis). Mupirocin - Apply 3 times daily - entire treatemnt should be no more than 10 days

Clindamycin could also be tried (barring no contraindications exist eg. hypersensitivities/allergies to the medication, or certain medical conditions and certain medications ur friend may have) but is not commonly a first line medication for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI)s unless a culture lab test confirms that the bacterial strain is susceptible to the antibiotics. Consult a doctor FIRST but im my opinion i see alot more oral antibiotics like flucloxacillin prescribed for SSTIs. Putting some betadine(R) on it may help also (antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial ) for 1 day only. (freq applications will impede wound healing).
Dosing schedule for Clindamycin 150mg -Dose May be taken with or without food. Adults: 150 mg every 6 hours initially. Take with a full glass of water. Start with the 150mg four times a day first as too high a dose may cause side effects and AAC (antibiotic associated collitis which can be life threatening)

Guntaag Gorefeast · Post by **Guntaag Gorefeast** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:03 am

ah, i did something like that before but i cant remember with what.. (it was really stupid,maybe a flooring nail?)

all i can remember is my finger hurt like hell and was swollen and very hard for a few days...hell i remember now,i had problems LANing halo because of that...

but yeah, ive poked my fingers several times like that and just that once that happened. Sounds like what happened to me, and it did freak me out too ;P

araby · Post by **araby** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:55 pm

Yah, today there is still no change and it still hurts like hell. But I don't have a fever and I'm guessing that this sort of wound is just going to feel like this a few days. thanks a lot ya'll