Pimples, blackheads and acne

Nurses General Nursing

Published

While cleaning a patient's face, blackheads were mistaken for ground in dirt. (The individual had had a seizure and had fallen pretty heavily onto his forehead, enough so he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead) The nurse was observed picking the blackheads.

The individual actually looked much better after she was done, and the patient appeared grateful for the cleaning but...

My question is shouldn't she have just left them alone? What about pimples? And cystic acne? And boils? Should we be draining boils and other skin infections after they have opened up? I have noticed that this older nurse does this and the areas appear to heal up remarkably quickly. What is best practice?

Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

:barf02:YUCK! There have been pretty yucky discussions about this, but this really grossed me out! On the bus!!! I'd say definately nurse material if you could do that with a total stranger!

Ooh the things we do...ooh the things we admit!

Blech.

Maisy;)

I love this thread :lol2:

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
I love this thread :lol2:

Me too! :D

Specializes in orthopedics, ED observation.
I was taking care of an elderly gentleman and turned him on his side to look at his back and found the hugest, most vile blackhead on the face of the earth. I measured it and it was 4inches by 2 inches... His wife said it had been there for over 10 years.

Ok. Hi! My name is MNmom, and I am a popper. But, I usually try to limit myself to my own face. (Mostly 'cause DH, DSs get all defensive...:lol2:)

This story tops them all! I am, however, left wondering how much his immune system had been impacted - for 10 years! Yikes!

"gross groins!" Haha!

I had one patient to prep (on tele floor, mind you not in the cath lab) for AM cath who had chiggers in his pubic hair. NASTY. He smelled bad, refused a bath and enjoyed his shave. I'll bet he did, 'cause I then had to pick through all the pubic hair to make sure they weren't lice. quote]

Sorry, but someone like that doesn't get a choice about whether they want a bath or not. I will give them the worst story about getting an infection in their cath site and dying from it. That is something that I'd be talking to the doc about if they refused bathing and were that nasty. And if they allow you to bathe them without issue, then they have given apparent consent and you cannot be sued for "forcing" a bath on them. I've had docs refuse to do ANY procedure on pt's like that until the pt bathed. And yes, the cardiologist went to the pt's room and ripped 'em a new one about it. The pt's never refused after the docs got involved.

Specializes in NICU.

I'm an inveterate picker/popper on my own self - still have a few scars from chicken pox at 12 yo.

Now, on the babies there's not much opportunity for poppin', as baby acne should really be left alone. The only times I pop anything at work are for cultures, and popping something with a culturette really isn't that satisfying. I did once get in a fight with a resident because I insisted that baby acne doesn't usually cluster in the axillae, and lo and behold, baby had MRSA. Turns out mom's bad acne wasn't really acne...

Specializes in LTC.

I'm Casi, and I too am a popper.

The bigger the gush of gunk the better.

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Oh MAN I just ate dinner and now I'm about to get sick reading this thread.

ok this made me remember something i wanted to forget. when hubby and first were engaged we were watching tv on the bed and he was on his belly. i noticed a big pimple on his back so i decided to get it. i popped that thing and i squeezed it for about a month getting puss and clear fluid out almost daily. finally it dired up so when i sweezed it all that i got was a thin thread like thing. then it was empty. now hes got a quarter sized indent near his spine. gross.

I HAD to keep reading these!! I guess you could say I am an intermittent picker but never on a pt (still a student) but now if it does happen, I will remember this and know I am not alone.

On a side note- had a pt whose ears- you know the part just external- were covered in blackheads and to this day I completely SCRUB that area on me in hopes I never have the same problem!!!

Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

Okay, worst story was not my own but my coworkers. She and I had a mutual fascination with blackheads and her story was disgusting! An elderly female patient had a large brown/black raised area under her breast and her family said they were wanting to have it "checked out." Of course it was a giant blackhead. The amount of cottage-cheesy material she expectorated out of there was incredible (she saved it in a specimen container to show the doc). LOL. It was just a pile of cheesy material in the bottom of that specimen cup and it was soooo gross looking. The lady had a large "hole" under her breast that my coworker cleaned up and applied a bandaid to. Makes you wonder how they get so big before people do something about them!

Specializes in LTC, home health, private care.

I want to stop reading, yet I can't look away!

lol

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