Infection...removal of staples/stitches
 

Ok, please dont be angry with me for asking this question.....but this is very important to me...

I have an infection in my arm which has recently been stitched and stapled. I was told to have them both removed in 7 to 10 days....so thats either friday, mon or tues I think

The wound is smelling really badly..i was given antibiotics by the hospital, but my rules say that i cant take them...that again isnt the problem.

The problem is, if I go to the gps to have the dressing changed as its beginning to fall apart with the bandage and whatnot...i would probably see a nurse....If she changes the dressing for me do i have the right to refuse to have the wound and area cleaned...or would they refuse to change my dressing?

I really cannot allow for the area to be cleaned...but need new dressings. I would buy them and do them myself but boots dont sell them large enough and its never easy to bandage your arm by yourself. thank you

I think they would still dress it, but they would badger you a little bit because it NEEDs cleaning.

They would never deny you clean dressings. I would imagine that is against ethics, but they would be very unhappy not cleaning it, understandably.

You can get large dressings pharmacies, but they are very expensive and depend on them having them in stock [because one of their patients has had a prescription for them]. They don't buy in packs just for public sale as they come in boxes of 100 and would never sell enough. We buy them sometimes to change at home but its much better to get a nurse to do it so they can wound check and seek Dr's advice if needs be.

I have the same problem with dressing sizes Rowie. You could always kind of join three or four together or if you don't want to do that or they aren't wide enough then I usually go to the pharmacy at tescos or sainsburys and buy them from there. From memory they are between 75p ish and £1.10 depending on what size you need. Just ask them if they sell large adhesive dressings and they usually have a selection of different sizes.

Why is it against your rules to have antibiotics or let it be cleaned? I'm worried because if this is a nasty infection it is unlikely to clear up on its own and could get very bad to the point of making you dangerously ill. I don't know anything about you but if it is MH issues stopping you from looking after it and you do get ill then you could be counted as a 'danger to yourself' and might require sectioning. If you are deemed to have capacity to make the decision then you can refuse treatment but it's really not advisable in this case.

I agree with Miss Anonymous, you would almost certainly be given new dressings but someone would want to clean the wound and will try very hard to get you to let them.

Thank you for replying....
The dressings they used were like square ended
sanitary towels...thats the only way i can describe them...and padded as well and then a bandage over the top. Ive got a small village pharmacy near me which stocks some dressings so i could ask there....but boots definately dont stock them. I guess i could try online and do a next day delivery......thats all 'if' the nurse wont do as i ask of her

Yes Emma, Im the same with dressing and end up sticking them together, but this time it is different

Yes it is a MH issue with me...its a rule that i must suffer and not get better...its happened before i was was put on iv biotics.

I just wanted to know where i stand at the moment with not having it cleaned. I guess i can try tomorrow at the doctors and if not do online shopping or maybe even try a sanitary towel..if i can get a bandage

I would make the appointment and go from there.

Don't use sanitary towels. You can get 10x20cm 'release' by johnson and johnson or melolin 10x20 dressings in bigger pharmacies [I believe you live close to me?] as they tend to stock them for prescription customers who need dressings on prescription. The 'release' ones are same as the biggest they have in A and E that we get.

I have, in the past, rang round the pharmacies to find one that has this size dressing in stock. That saves a few trips!

Ah ok, thank you because at the mo im having no luck online
I will try to book an appointment for tomrrow and if noluck in getting one i will try to source them out locally like you say

thank you x

Just to say that i saw the nurse today, yes its infected but she was fine about my wishes of not having the wound cleaned. She gave me a prescritipn for the dressings and i can get them from my local pharmacy....so all is good thank you xx

OK...

I have an appointment tomorrow to have my staples/stitches removed, but due to an infection the wound is still rather wet and sticky and smelly.
theyve been in for 8 days and i was told to have them removed between 7 and 10 days...will they still beable to remove them with the wound being like that.

I wont be wanting it cleaned so they would have to work with it like that
Thank you

When a wound is infected it doesn't heal very well [I'm sure you know this]. The nurse needs to look at it and decide if they are ready to come out. When my partner has had vast amounts of staples and they are not sure if they are ready [due to infection or just slow healing] they sometimes take out a couple and see what it looks like.

It'll be up to them, but they need to see it first. Be prepared for either to happen.

Ok, thank you for the help

Im actually really scared for some reason
I think embarrassed because it smells
Scared she'll want to clean it

But yes, thank you very much

Rowie, they would have to clean it a bit to remove the staples and stiches. I know I personally would be very uncomfortable removing either stitches or staples if I couldn't get a clear look and feel of the wound and also if around the wound was relatively clean as they NEED to know if the wound has been healed enough for them to remove them, especially if it's been infected and this may be a case of them removing one or two and looking for very subtle signs. They may also be unable to get to the stitches to hold them properly or put a staple remover underneath the staples if it's not been cleaned properly. Rowie, I know you don't want to hear this though but you do also need to get them removed, you can't have them staying in there or your body will start to react against them after a time and skin could also grow over thm and in time this will just be a source of new infections.

I think with it being infected the sooner you go the better. They may not be able to remove them at that time due to the infection as it is likely to take longer, however they do need to luck to see if an abscess is developing which is really something that would need to be treated as if not you will become extremely ill especially alongside you not wanting to take the ABs or have the wound cleaned; you're at a very high risk of getting another infection in which you'd need to be hospitalised with IV ABs and be really ill, do you really want that or do you think taking your tablets may be a better idea? As well as this, if it isn't properly examined when they take the stitches out and stuff then it could easily break down, especially with the infection, and then you'd be in a much worse state than you were to get it stitched. I'm proud of you for managing to get it stitched up, I really am and goin to see the nurse. But really, if you don't take this hurdle of having the stitches/ staples removed properly in the way that whoever does it can properly examine the edges of the wound and also feel what the tissue is like underneath and look closely as they remove them then you going through all those har steps may be for nothing... and you'd be worse off than you were before... PLEASE get this checked out and let them clean it and as well as that, AND I know you're going to hate me for saying this (and I do understand where you're coming from)but can you at least try and take a tablet? You don't need this much extra damage inflicted upon yourself and this is extremely dangerous and I know you know that.

Thank you Animad...I did go and I di ask her not to clean the wound. However the dressing was stuck to my skin with gunk.....so when she removed the stitches and staples she had to scrape a little of it away.
She warned me that the wound may 'give way' as it is still infected and moist.

I was meant to make another appointment to see her on monday for a check up and a change of dressing but couldnt bring myself to do that just incase i do anything to the arm in the mean time.

But as it stands, she thinks everything is out. I know Ill get a bollocking from my doc next time i see him as it will all be on my notes....but then he does know what my 'rules' are regarding infections..

I have got the antibiotics, but im sorry..i wont beable to take them
Thanks for your help xxx

OK. But, if the wound starts to break down or already has done; ie the wound opens up again, then get it checked out; it is important that you do do as that is a sign that the infection is really bad or something else may need to be done with it.

Erm, also, make sure you keep it covered up with a dressing and make sure you do get help if you have any suspicion that the infection is spreading either into your blood or into the surrounding tissue as this is where it gets MEGA dangerous and can lead to the loss of a limb in some cases (presuming that's where you've cut) if the surrounding tissue has become infected badly and that spreads further, or, if it goes into your bloodstream then septicaemia is nver a good outcome and is something, that as you know, you can die from.

ok will do Animad....to be honest i think the nurse i saw was naughty and put non a differnt type of dressing and it now partially seems to have dried out a bit. Ive removed that dressing. done some more damage and redressed it.
Unfortunately it seemed fine....time will tell

thank you for your help and advice xx

im sorry, i know youre trying to help and advise and im going against it.....i just cant help it at the moment......maybe it will clear up and that will be that...but yeah ...thank you so much xx

I know it's hard for you with all your beliefs and stuff and I don't think you're really bad and things for it and stuff which is why I'm not going down really hard on you whereas I have come down harder on others in the same situation. However, some things do need to be said, both to make sure you know the risks but also so that the rest of RYL don't think it's right and people don't get the idea that I'm suggesting that this is all totally fine or that it's the right way to be done/ encouraging you in any way as that in itself could get the forum (and myself) in a lot of trouble.

If you ever want to talk about things in private, if you feel that is easier, then feel free to PM me. I'll still however point out the risks just so you're totally sure and things.

Please don't hurt yourself anymore like you have been, you don't deserve it. I know if you feel they've gone against your beliefs you'll feel terrible and be really mad with them and things and also maybe even disgusted and that they've betrayed you and things but try to just ignore those feelings if you can and be careful with yourself. What's been done now is in the past, there's no way you can change that however much you may want to.

Thank you very very much x

I would just like to say dressing wise that they don't always make them big and I've heard a lot of people saying they can't find large dressings but thats normal. A dressing size has to stop somewhere so if you are looking again for buying dressings, as above, its normal to use several on the one wound depending on its size.

Could you do things like drink orange juice for the vitamin C or take multivitimans just to boost your health in general. That way you're not directly helping your arm you're indirectly helping it which is different