UKC

Last Tuesday I caught my finger on the end of a staple sticking through a paperand it has since healed over but started swelling considerably and is quite painful.
I'm guessing I've got something living in it that I could do with getting out to allow it to heal properly.
I haven't got a doctor as my last one kicked me off their register because I moved house 2 miles away so it would be a pain to try and see one and I really don't fancy wasting a day down at a minor injuries centre. I was wondering if I should stick a pin in it and see if anything spurts out.

And medics of here got any good reason why I shouldn't do this? I'd sterilise the pin and the surrounding area first obviously.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Oh No!
Stick a pin in it.

In reply to birdie num num:

Good to know there's always someone sensible I can get advice from.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Depends on where its swollen - if it is just a swelling under the skin then yeah, you could stick a sterile needle in and then squeeze - or just wait a bit longer till it becomes more obvious where the fluid is and then jab it.

On the other hand if its near a joint, tendon, bone etc you could do a lot of harm by leaving it, and may need antibiotics, so should seek medical attention ASAP.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Having stuck a pin in it, you then should soak in salt water. It hurts, but it works. 9g of salt to a litre of water

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

"On the other hand if its near a joint, tendon, bone etc you could do a lot of harm by leaving it, and may need antibiotics, so should seek medical attention ASAP."

It is actually right in the crease of the second joint. Hmm, that complicates things.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Maybe it's about time you checked out your new doctor. Or go to minor injuries nice and early before the kids fall over or anyone starts on the booze.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Go to A&E. Emergency Aid/H&S training bloke at work has lots of horror stories. On one course the main character was present so could tell himself. Getting up from a desk he put his hand down on an up turned drawing pin, felt a bit of a prick but thought nothing of it. Few days later hand was a bit sore and bruised looking, again shrugged off; till EA/HS bloke saw it, heard story and directed to hospital. He had an anaerobic infection, apparently really difficult to treat with antibiotics. So, required mechanical cleaning. After peeling the skin of his hand it was put in a airtight tent beside him and washed continuously with a saline solution, for several days. Worst bit was, first treatment wasn't completely successful. Few days out off hospital started getting sore again, back in and whole process had to be repeated. Was told that if he'd went straight to practice nurse or A&E and reported as a stick injury they'd have cleaned up in a couple of minutes; again, felt a bit of a prick....

In reply to Hyphin:

Don't go to A&E its not life threatening and you'll clog up an already overloaded system, as well as having to wait x hours.
GP surgeries - thats what they're for. Have a look at other options below


http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservice...

In reply to gethin_allen:

You won't be wasting time at a minor injuries/walk in place. Get yourself down there.

In reply to gethin_allen:

What Jaypee said, if you don't have a doctor.

I squashed the end of my finger under a rock and lost the finger nail, and went to the docs about something else and he looked at my finger and gave me antibiotics because it had gone septic, but I didn't know it had.

In reply to gethin_allen:

I went and found a GP in the end, they managed to fit me in this afternoon as they had a cancellation although I did end up waiting 70 mins as they were "running a bit late".

GP doesn't think it's a problem, fingers crossed he's right.

In reply to Hyphin:

FFS do NOT go to A&E

In reply to gethin_allen:

As a first aider, I would tell you to get it checked by doc or minor injuries.
Without the first aider hat on, I would personally get a pin and do it myself. Not only less hassle, but also fascinating to see what comes out!

In reply to JamButty:
Yea do nothing and block a hospital bed for a week or so with you're hand peeled

In reply to Hyphin:

He didn't say 'do nothing'. He said "don't go to A&E" and 'go to a GP'.

It would probably be wise for the OP to take the opportunity to register with a GP...

In reply to gethin_allen:

Drink a bottle of rum, bite on a leather strap and cut the offending digit off.

Don't cry.

In reply to captain paranoia:

Like you say OP not registered with GP so that or practice nurse not an option. Some hospitals have minor injuries clinics as well as A&E, but not all, and they tend to be 9-5. OP complaining of swelling and pain, suggests infection. Possibly anaerobic, possibly in joint/bone and with a wee risk of septicemia, all potentially serious.

Would be very interested if any A&E consultant/nurse cared to share an opinion.

They don't want to treat sunburn, colds&flu's, hangovers and all sorts of stuff that folk turn up with, but do tend to like to see stuff before it becomes critical.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Post a picture, then we can all play "guess what's in it"!

JW

In reply to gethin_allen:

It's only been 3 days, give it a couple more to see what happens.
My rule is always leave it a week to improve before messing around with the doctor's.

In reply to gethin_allen:

You could try to get it to 'point' with the application of a hot flannel for 5–10 mins every few hours. If you are going to stick it, clean the skin as well as the needle. Try soap and water (better chlorhexidine) and then meths or surgical spirit for the skin, not just the affected area, but all of your hands and those of any accomplices. Home treatment may introduce infection, miss a foreign body and get you a very unsympathetic response from the NHS when you have MRSA, tetanus, gangrene etc.

I would go to the doctor, but my experience is that you have to beg to get them to stick a knife in, even when you have a grape sized lesion and so I have some sympathy with the idea of going to A&E as they will deal with it. In my case, the doctor did do it after some protestation when I told him I was going home to stick a size 10 scalpel in it if he didn't! The relief was fantastic.

In reply to Dax H:



By "last Tuesday" I meant the previous Tuesday, 11 days ago.

It's still swollen and painful but doesn't seem to be getting worse so hopefully it's getting better.

In reply to gethin_allen:

I think if its been that long I would want a second opinion.