What a night(mare) at home!

[jrw03282009]

I am a nursing student right now and I felt so helpless tonight even though I have learned so much! My husband is NEVER sick. He was cleaning a deer on Wednesday when he nicked his knuckle on the deer antlers. He washed it really well and applied Neosporin. Of course, he didnt think much more about it.

During the night last night (Friday), he woke up to a very painful and throbbing swollen finger. He applied ice and went back to sleep. When we got up the next morning, the wound looked a little weird but mainly just a swollen finger. That afternoon it literally went from a scratch on the knuckle to a black area about the size of a dime in a matter of two hours. I packed him up and off we went to the minor emergency here in town. The Dr looked at it and gave him a nice big abx shot. There was some redness just a little past his wrist but nothing major.

We came home and have been watching tv. Around 1am he got up and I noticed his arm was really red. When he turned his arm where I could see it, there were red streaks from his knuckle to almost his armpit. This scared me so badly but I was also very confused. We were told that the redness would go away within 12 hours but not that they might get worse. I started calling the m/er and the local hosp er. Of course they cant say anything but come in if you think you need to. Hello, its Christmas and there isnt much left for a second payment to the hospital.

So I called our regular MD for real advice. Remember it is 1am now. He calmed me down and said to elevate it and apply heat. I am fixing to go to bed now but wanted to share my night. Makes me remember that when I start actual nursing to explain things to my patients so they might not be so scared and confused like I was tonight.

[CNA2day]

Wow! So I am confused what would cause that much reaction from a scratch? Is it just from the bacteria on the skull?

I know things like cat scratches tend to react badly and my personal experiences with scratching myself on steel I tend to get an almost immediate reaction but never anything like that!

Curiousity is getting me here!

[belgarion]

Wow! So I am confused what would cause that much reaction from a scratch? Is it just from the bacteria on the skull?

I know things like cat scratches tend to react badly and my personal experiences with scratching myself on steel I tend to get an almost immediate reaction but never anything like that!

Curiousity is getting me here!

I grew up hunting and dressing out game. I have known of any number of cases like this whenever someone knicks themselves while cleaning a deer or wild hog, including once on myself. Wild animals carry a wide variety of bugs. I learned the hard way and now I don't handle one without gloves on. If someone does get a small, seemingly insignificant cut while cleaning fish or game, I always tell them to get to a doctor because you just never know.

[jrw03282009]

Wow! So I am confused what would cause that much reaction from a scratch? Is it just from the bacteria on the skull?

I know things like cat scratches tend to react badly and my personal experiences with scratching myself on steel I tend to get an almost immediate reaction but never anything like that!

Curiousity is getting me here!

I doubt we will ever know what bacteria caused him to react so badly. I think it was just that he thought he was Super Man and that he wouldnt get sick from it so he ignored washing it, keeping it clean and covered, and neosporin. I am a germaphobe and he always tenderly makes "fun" of me... well now he sees why I am the way I am! Even a big bear like my hubby can fall from such a tiny little thing...

[Cheesecakelady]

Not to be a worrywart, but please keep an eye on him. I am not trying to scare you, but I have seen MRSA infections that started out just like this. Seems to get better, then, next thing you know, it's much, much worse with swelling, pain, redness and drainage. The next thing you know the patient is headed for emergency surgery.

The doctor told me one indication of a MRSA infection is that the pain is much worse than you would ever expect for the size of the wound and that was the case with the patients I knew. It sounds like your husband is doing fine, but please make sure he continues improving. If it seems worse, get him to the doctor quickly.

By the way, I am not a nurse, just speaking from experience.

[nursel56]

Wow, glad it seems to be improving! I think, given the situation you described, I'd risk some sort of censure here on the forum rather than not tell you to have it evaluated quickly by a doctor at the ER.

It was pretty alarming how quickly it turned from a nick to a dime-sized black spot these things are nothing to fool with, as they say.

If sometime in the future you are vacillating about whether or not to have something seen because of the hospital bill--- your loved ones are too precious to take even a small risk with-- but you knew that, too. Thanks for coming back to update us and best wishes as you continue with nursing school.