I got my splint wet. Please help!?

Question

I overflowed my bathroom toilet this morning and in a panic, I accidentally got the cotton under my splint dripping wet with urine-water. I'm sure this couldn't be good for a healing incision, so I immediately ran out and bought some rolled cotton and gauze and took the splint off. My question is, how should I clean the area and should I apply any kind of ointment or iodine before I rewrap it? I broke my thumb (1st metacarpal) and had to have surgery 9 days ago (last Friday) to have pins inserted. There are 6 thin, tape-like strip bandages covering the stitches.

OK. I washed the entire hand gently with warm, soapy water, rinsed thoroughly (I had to use a hair dryer on low to dry the steri-strips) and applied alcohol to the area (I didn't have any Neosporin) before putting on a fresh gauze pad. I wrapped my arm, hand and thumb in cotton, put the splint back on and wrapped it all up with a new ace bandage. I was trying to avoid bugging my doctor on a Sunday or spending my entire day off in a doctors office to get something done that I could probably do myself, so that's why I posted this question. I have to call my surgeon tomorrow so I can schedule an appointment to have my stitches removed, so I will let him know then what had happened. Thank you all very much for your responses. They were greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Simply clean it thoroughly with soap and water, rinse thoroughly, dry completely, and put some triple antibiotic ointment (neosporin) on it and redress it with a bandage and splint.

The strips of tape are called "steri-strips" and are not really necessary if there are staples or stitches in place.

Let your surgeon know of any increasing redness associated with pain and possibly drainage from the incision, as they would be signs of infection.

Answer 2

Wet Splint

Answer 3

You did well to take off the splint. However, you should be calling your physician to get instructions on whether or not he wants to look at the incision. After 9 days, it might be closed enough to simply wash with warm soapy water and then dry well, but that is HIS call......not yours or mine. Also, the splint will have to be put back on, and that needs to be done by a professional.
At the very least, go to your closest walk-in clinic, or emergency room. Seriously......don't take unnecessary chances.

Answer 4

I would wash it off, and apply either alcohol, or iodine to it, then make sure it is completely dry before wrapping. Ointment is optional. You could also apply the ointment, wait for the skin to absorb it and then re-wrap the thumb. Might not be a bad idea at that!

Answer 5

Go to the emergency room and get them to re-wrap the thumb or
you can buy a splint for the thumb - go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist. There are all sorts of things you can buy to immobilize the thumb, clean it and put sterile bandages on it.

Answer 6

save the bag on the splint yet placed a sock over that so it is going to stay to tell the story longer and the sock is washing gadget-friendly if it get grimy and moist. and you will nonetheless have the ability to enable your canines flow exterior! yet watch her very close while she is out area. that's a competent element which you're letting your canines stay in its popular habitual. you do no longer prefer the domestic dog to think of that's okay to do it pastime interior the domicile! it is going to likely be complicated to break this habit in a while! desire your domestic dog gets extra appropriate quickly! provide a great number of TLC it's going to make you 2 closer and you have a astounding canines and one that respects you & listens to you while it gets older!

Answer 7

I have the same thing but I broke my 5th digit. I have a splint and I accidentally dropped my finger in my bath. I quickly took the splint off, dried my finger and my splint, re rapped my finger with gauze, and re tapped it with medical tape. The doctor also said that it is fine.