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Child Pulled Of His Finger Nail, Swollen And Puss Oozing Out Of It With A Red Line. Is It A Blood Infection?
My almost 4 yo son pulled a hang nail off of this finger a few days ago. He awoke this morning with a red swollen finger tip, open sore and puss oozing from the site. I cleaned it first thing and applied antibiotic cream then covered it with a bandage . I repeated this process a 3 times today, but it s still hot to the touch and blanches when pressure is applied. I just had him soak it in epsom salts and warm water for 15 minutes, but prior to doing so I noticed a red line running up the inside of his finger his large knuckle at the palm. Should I take him to the ER tonight or can I wait until tomorrow morning? I am assuming this is the start of a blood infection. Please advise.
Tue, 12 Feb 2013
Hi
Since its hot to touch with oozing etc- the wound is likely to be infected.
Its better you take him to ER.
If there is no fever, its unlikely that blood infection has happened.
Whenever dressing is done for open wounds, it has to be done in a sterile manner. Else infection can happen. A visit to doctor will sort out the issue.
Doctor will examine his finger, see how bad the infection is and decide accordingly.
If infection is bad, he might need oral antibiotics too along with a clean dressing.
Hope my answer helps you.
Wish your son a speedy recovery.
Since its hot to touch with oozing etc- the wound is likely to be infected.
Its better you take him to ER.
If there is no fever, its unlikely that blood infection has happened.
Whenever dressing is done for open wounds, it has to be done in a sterile manner. Else infection can happen. A visit to doctor will sort out the issue.
Doctor will examine his finger, see how bad the infection is and decide accordingly.
If infection is bad, he might need oral antibiotics too along with a clean dressing.
Hope my answer helps you.
Wish your son a speedy recovery.
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