E-coli infection in toe

bobnurse · Jan 3, 2005

I have a question: I started out with an ingrown toenail that turned into a nasty abcess. The foot doctor cultured it and found Staph and E-coli in my toe infection. How did E-coli get in there? Doesn't that come from feces? Yuk! I am now on IV Ancef for the next two weeks but really wonder why E-coli? Any thoughts? Curleysue

Did you step on a contaminated peice of steak?

SusanJean · Jan 3, 2005

OK, now think... where is the most common source of e. coli??

Do you use public (health club, work, etc.) showers? Walk around barefoot?

Kicked someone in the *ss lately? :chuckle sorry, couldn't resist...

SJ

bobnurse · Jan 3, 2005

E-Coli comes from the intestines of animals and humans. It is the most common type of bacteria. It helps you break down food. You could of gotten it from taking a bath with someone (feces in the water), swimming pools, hot tubs, walking barefoot of dirty floors, and so forth.

happytobehere96 · Jan 3, 2005

Did you step on a contaminated peice of steak?

Thanks for the laugh bobnurse. I needed it.:rotfl:

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Jan 3, 2005

...
kicked someone in the *ss lately? :chuckle sorry, couldn't resist...

sj

omg...not trying to be mean or anything but, i was thinking the same thing...lol :rotfl:!

:chair: i do apologize for my insensitivity here ~ cheers!

moe

group_theory · Jan 3, 2005

An obvious source is your hand/fingers.

Perhaps you forgot to wash your hands after using the bathroom. You might have shaken hands with someone who didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom. Or you might have touched an object that was touched by people who didn't wash their hands. Common objects that people touch all the times - door knobs, handrails of escalators and/or beds, elevator buttons, clipboards/charts, pens, towels, etc

So E.coli was growing/culturing on your fingers when you touched your ingrown toenail or absesses. The cellulitis caused by Staph created a perfect condition for this faculative anaerobe to grow.

KP RN · Jan 3, 2005

What a dilemma, Curly! My husband is a retired podiatrist. He says that E.coli infections like you describe are not that uncommon. Perhaps when you took a shower in your own home, the water ran down your own body and into the ingrown toenail?? It's a lot more palatable when you realize it might be your own E.coli, eh??? Good luck!!

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2005

That happened to my son after walking around in the yard for a party/dirt. Very common. Alot of "stuff" is in dirt.....

renerian

stbernardclub · Jan 4, 2005

it does sound like a rare occurence. Had your toenail not have been ingrown, to allow a direct route into your body, you probably would never have had a problem. Sounds like to old " In the place at the wrong time" scenerio.

curleysue · Jan 4, 2005

WOW! I didn't expect so many people to respond. That statement of me kicking someone in the *ss made me laugh so hard. No, I don't think I did that. However, now thinking about it. I have taken lots and lots of baths to help soak my toe at the beginning. Plus we have a brand new bathtub that is huge and has jets everywhere. Who can resist? I take one almost everynight. Maybe from now on I should hang my foot outside of the tub.

No, I never stepped on any raw meat, or even walked outside in the dirt (kinda impossible since we have snow). But I think you guys are right, I think the bathing caused the E-coli infection. Man those infections smell really really bad!! Sorry if that grossed you out but its really bad.

Anyways, I love this site and have been telling everyone about it. Including all the nurses at the hospital that do my infusion treatments twice a week. Thanks again.. Curleysue :)