Does this look infected to you?

[your_comforting_company]

A little back-story:
On friday I fleshed a deer hide, then soaked it in lye.
On saturday I scraped off the hair and grain. My draw-knife is a dull tool. It flipped up while I was doing the neck area and nicked my thumb. I was wearing gloves and didn't even bleed, just barely broke the skin..
On sunday I rinsed and scraped it again.
Monday I wrung it, and washed it out really good.
Tuesday I changed the water and went to get a new backpack. I added distilled white vinegar to the rinse to try something new suggested in my book. that day my thumb was a little tender and
Wednesday when I woke up, my thumb was very swolen, sore, and I couldn't bend it.
I washed it with peroxide and alcohol, applied neosporin and a band-aid. wrapped it up good with waterproof tape. I needed to brain the hide, for softening, so I got all that jazz ready, and got the hide soaking.
After a little while the swellin had gone down just a little, but blood blisters were forming.
I busted one of the blisters, got the ooze out, and soaked it in sea-salt. After that soak, it swole up really big!

So I cleaned it again, applied neosoprin and a new bandage. Then it occurred to me.. My grandma and uncle are both allergic to Neosporin's sulfates, well, really anything with sulfur in it. I wonder if I'm allergic to it too? I used to use it all the time to treat cuts, and never had a reaction before.

So what do you think? Infection or allergic reaction?

I have never had a reaction to vinegar either. I've used it for all sorts of things, especially to neutralize "stink" on my hands. to my knowledge, I have never had a reaction to it either before, BUT, and it's a big BUT.. I've never added vinegar to a hide bath before either. The hide had two bullet holes in it. After about 16 hours in the rinse, now the hide has about 12 holes in it.. like the vinegar digested it! Naturally, I just stuck my hand in the soak to stir and make sure the hide was coated and not floating (they only float with the hair on, which is precisely why I thought deer hair, being hollow, would make good fishing flies).
I think something in the vinegar caused the reaction, since it digested the hide. I'm disappointed that a VERY pristine hide was ruined, but at this point, I'm more worried about losing my thumb. anyhow, here's what it looks like this morning.

[Justin Case]

I would say if it oozing pus its infected,, I would keep washing it with peroxide and keep it uncovered when you are not working, also, triple antibiotic salve works very well .

Side Note, I had a similar infection on my knuckle once from a guys tooth,, it wouldn't heal, i ground up an antibiotic pill into a paste and rubbed it into the sore,, It healed right away,


ps, at least your pics say "attached thumbnails" lol

[nell67]

I think you may have had a reaction to the vinegar/peroxide mix,which creates an acid ????

http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.co...es/vinegar.htm

read the last paragraph,if you still had a small amount of the vinegar in the wound when you treated it with peroxide,maybe it reacted?

[nell67]

Your reaction started BEFORE you used the peroxide though?? Maybe lye/vinegar reaction,which could cause burns?

Still possible that it could be an allergic reaction though,you need to seek medical attention for it either way.


http://www.lymphnotes.com/article.php/id/473/

neosprin allergy includes blisters that turn into blood blisters!

[Rick]

Well, yeah. I know you don't want to hear it but get your butt to the doctor! That's infected and it can lead to septicemia, which can be deadly. It can also be a first stage of necrotizing fasciitis. Those blood blisters you described are symptomatic of it.

http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume5/i...atures/hu.html

[Winter]

I work with concrete and we use vinegar to neutralize the lye on our skin.

[Winnie]

Absolutely what Rick said! That is definitely an infected thumb and needs proper treatment.

[your_comforting_company]

Ok. I went to the doctor. My wife insisted. Out of the 4 possibilites, he was uncertain. He prescribed 2 types of antibiotics, and a different salve than neosporin.
Bacteria, vinegar, neosporin, or sea-salt...
My guess is bacteria, and possibly the septicerosisitis stuff, or maybe a mutated staph that the doctor mentioned. He said that if I'm not getting better my monday, I should return to lance it and get a culture on it. I'll keep monitoring it. I will spend some time looking over the links you guys posted. I've never had anything like this, so it's new to me.
I wound up getting a tetanus shot too (free), and since the hepB vaccine was free I got it too.
It's a little scary to think of losing my thumb to pure stupidity.. I guess that's what happens when you get too comfortable doing things.. Like Cody Lundin said, " be a dumba**, experience dumba** consequences".

Lesson learned!
The doctor and the pharmacy both gave me discounts, so I got all this for just barely over $100. I expected to be broke after this trip, but I still have a few bucks left! Haven't been to the doctor in a long time now. Was a little nervous. hopefully It'll be cured and I'm staying away from all 4 of those items above for a while.

Is there a skin test I can use to see if I'm allergic to neosporin, as you would with a plant?

[nell67]

Ok. I went to the doctor. My wife insisted. Out of the 4 possibilites, he was uncertain. He prescribed 2 types of antibiotics, and a different salve than neosporin.
Bacteria, vinegar, neosporin, or sea-salt...
My guess is bacteria, and possibly the septicerosisitis stuff, or maybe a mutated staph that the doctor mentioned. He said that if I'm not getting better my monday, I should return to lance it and get a culture on it. I'll keep monitoring it. I will spend some time looking over the links you guys posted. I've never had anything like this, so it's new to me.
I wound up getting a tetanus shot too (free), and since the hepB vaccine was free I got it too.
It's a little scary to think of losing my thumb to pure stupidity.. I guess that's what happens when you get too comfortable doing things.. Like Cody Lundin said, " be a dumba**, experience dumba** consequences".

Lesson learned!
The doctor and the pharmacy both gave me discounts, so I got all this for just barely over $100. I expected to be broke after this trip, but I still have a few bucks left! Haven't been to the doctor in a long time now. Was a little nervous. hopefully It'll be cured and I'm staying away from all 4 of those items above for a while.

Is there a skin test I can use to see if I'm allergic to neosporin, as you would with a plant?

Try applying a little to the inside of your elbow,to see if you get a reaction in that spot.

[Rick]

YCC - I don't think you were being stupid at all. Bacteria (and lot's of other stuff) live all over us. They are in the soil and on everything we touch (we dont' know anything about survival like those bugs do!). Since the skin is our first line of defense all it takes is a slight nick and they have a foot hold in the door. It has happened to all of us lot's of times. The only difference is which bug and whether our defense can shut it down before it grows. And that is by pure chance. When the perfect storm comes together...infection!

Cudos to you for caring about yourself and your family enough to do to the doc, to get your tetanus (good for 10 years so write the date down!) and your hepB.

[rwc1969]

I'm glad you went to the doc YCC. That's what I woulda done. Red and swollen is not a good sign in any book, especially if it comes from a minor cut.

Infection, blood poisoning and the like is one thing I don't fool around with.

If you're on antibiotics take them as scheduled and to completion otherwise the next time this happens it could be worse or it may not cure the problem at all.

[Beo]

Dip that bad boy in bleach, then rinse with peroxide and wrap with alchol soaked gauze for first day. Second day cover in Neosporean and wrap with gauze and TAHHHHDAHHHH!!!! That crap will hurt but get better real quick!!!
LOL GO SEE A DOCTOR IF IT HURTS REAL BAD YCC!!!!

Ok update, I see ya went good job, hope all is ok.
Beo,

[crashdive123]

Late to the party, but glad you went to see the doc.

[your_comforting_company]

Thanks guys. Doing the neosporin test on elbow right now. Will touch back in a few hours with results.
Will be pretty hard to swing a hammer without a thumb. I'm glad I went to the doc too. Makes me feel better that it could have been simply shaking hands in the MP Surplus store on Tuesday, or the job I checked on Monday..
If I pass the neosporin test, I'll try the vinegar tomorrow, and the salt on Saturday. If neither of those gives a reaction, It will have to be bacterial.

[Rick]

My bet is on bacterial. When you nicked your thumb they found no one at home and tried to move in. That's why we have limited camping in national parks. You need to put up a sign or something.

[Camp10]

Keep it clean, take all the medicine they gave you and it will be fine. Lots of people only take their meds until it looks or feels better and stop. They gave you 10 days (I'm guessing) for a reason. One other bid of advice, that stuff kills bacteria and doesnt know the difference between good and bad. Eat yogurt or something like that to help your body replace the good bacteria it needs.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I cut myself on my thumb in the exact same place last week. It is healling very slow. Seams we use are thumbs alot. I have a mild infection too. I think I am good though. Now here is what got my attention...I did it with a gerber folding saw building a practice shelter with my daughter...for what it is worth the gerber was far more efficient than my 19" Wetterlings...but could have easily been a survival situation if my little girl didn't have her first aid kit on the ready!

[klickitat]

I am about to get into trouble, but please do not be offended. I am meerly trying to help here.

DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide or bleach to clean an infected wound. The first will attack the healing tissue and the dead tissue and the second one is toxic.

Next, try and stay away from the ointments. I have seen wounds heal over too quickly before infection is fought off and be trapped under the skin. My wife almost lost a finger for that reason. She would not listen to me. Please do not make the same mistake.

This is one of the most important things I could ever pass on to anyone. For deep puncture wounds, deep and large cuts, soak in a hot Epsom Salts/water solution. This will also save you a lot of money at the doctors office. My family has been using this for 4 generations (my children being the forth). It works and works good. Fish finger, ingrown toe nails that are infected, cat scratch infections and festering wood slivers. This has been the cure in our home.

I have seen some of the worst infected wounds calmed right down with in a couple days. Now that is not to take the place of going to the doctor if you are about to die.

[tipacanoe]

After you make a paste with the epson salts, read the rest of the package and see what else this stuff can do, you will be glad that you have a box as it is very good.

[rwc1969]

+1 on the yogurt!