last saturday my husband and daughters and i were walking down a trail to a beach. my knee gave out and needless to say i hit the ground. i scraped up my knee pretty bad and my shin and foot. my shin and foot have healed fine. we were unable to completely clean my knee at the time because we were an hour away from home and i didn't have a first aid kit nearby. so we improvised and poured sea water on it and i cleaned what dirt i could out of it. yesterday i noticed that it was red and pretty warm so i had my hubby look at it and he said it looked alittle infected, so he went back in and deep cleaned it with alcohol (for as bad as that hurt it better have done some good!). so we've been putting alcohol on it 2 a day. today, its nowhere near as red, but its still pretty warm, and its alittle swollen, not bad...but enough for me to notice. it hurts alittle but not much. what is the possibility of infection? and what can i do to clear this up without having to visit a doctor?? thanks guys
2006-07-29 10:22:39 · 9 answers · asked by americancntrygrl03 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ First Aid
It's definitely infected. Your chances of fixing it without a doctor's intervention are excellent. Just keep it clean and covered. Don't pick the scabs. They are your natural bandage.
Stay hydrated, and take vitamin/mineral supplements. A healthy immune system is vital if fighting infections.
2006-07-29 10:30:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Without actually seeing the wound, it's difficult to determine the level of infection you may be experiencing. Cellulitis is a skin infection that can result from a simple abrasion. If left untreated, it could progress into your joints and would require aggressive intravenous antibiotic therapy and possibly a surgical intervention to remedy the infection. Take a marker or pen and draw around the border of the redness. If the redness moves past the borders, then your home treatments aren't sufficient and require antibiotic therapy. Wash with soap and water twice a day and pat it dry. The wound will heal from the inside out. If you have any concerns, call your doctor or visit an urgent care. Being a weekend, you may have to visit the emergency room.
2006-07-29 12:10:49 · answer #2 · answered by rntroublemaker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't put any more alcohol on the area. Alcohol will kill new forming skin cells. If the knee is not draining and is just red, clean it with soap and water, pat dry and apply a dry bandage over it. If in a day or so it starts draining, apply a triple antibiotic ointment, but only if it really is infected. If you put it on there and it's not infected, you can really make a mess of your abbraision. It should heal rather quickly. The fever in the area may just be inflammation and you can take an asprin or ibuprophen with food for that. Good luck. (wash you hands before doing anything to it and afterward)
2006-07-29 17:16:09 · answer #3 · answered by Sassy OLD Broad 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you could have a little bout of cellulitis. If you are adamant about not going to the doctor, watch it very carefully. You might draw lines around it with a marker or ink pen. If it spreads, becomes warmer, hurts worse, seems a darker color of red, or has any purulence (discolored pus, usually yellowish or brownish - clear is just natural body fluids) coming from it, seek a doctor immediately. Cellulitis can go into the bone and cause need for long-term heavy-duty antibiotics, surgery, and/or amputation.
2006-07-29 14:15:17 · answer #4 · answered by frustratedmum 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey...you need to get yourself to an emergency room, fairly fast.
A few months ago, I scraped my toe while out walking. I cleaned it up, and went to work, by the time I came home from work, the scab on my toe had turned black and my foot was warm and swelled out. Next morning, foot still swollen and red. Went to hospital (thinking, they'd just clean it and send me home) they kept me in for three days!!! I had cellulitis and lymphagitis...the doctor pointed out this barely visible red line that I hadn't noticed, which was travelling up my ankle...he said this was the infection, and had it travelled up to my groin I would have been in serious trouble...so just to be safe...get it checked out.
Nell.
2006-07-29 10:31:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
just leave it alone now. if you keep breaking the wound open to clean it it could become worse. your body will heal it by itself. keep the wound in the open air to help it heal faster.
2006-07-29 10:27:44 · answer #6 · answered by george 2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OMGGGG i've the equal thinggggg that's why i acquired on yahoo questionss HELPPPPPPP! i've the equal form of stuff on my knee too. :[ be certain u positioned rubbing alchol or hydrogen peroxide to resolve any micro organism
2016-08-28 15:56:19 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clean it with soap and water and put some bacitracin on it.
2006-07-29 10:27:36 · answer #8 · answered by puma 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it is if you were putting on socks and shoes over that open wound its very possible
2006-07-29 22:01:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋