Wound Care

[daffy654]

Does anyone here know anything about wound care? My 18 year old pregnant daughter had an abscess removed from the top of her inner thigh on the 14th of this month.She had the wound packed and is having the dressing changed daily. The thing that is puzzling us both is that one particular nurse seems reluctant to clean the wound,she just removes the packing and puts clean stuff in. The wound has become infected and they have sent off swabs for testing,we are awaiting the results of that. Should the wound be washed out every time the dressing is changed? is the nurse being lazy or is she supposed to just change the packing?

[beejaybee]

My husband had a similar thing but on his arm. His was washed out daily & repacked. On a slightly different note, my mum used to have nurses that came twice daily to change her catheter bags. Some would do a thorough job while others did not. We reported this & from then on they all did it right.

[daffy654]

My daughter has mentioned it to the nurses that do wash out the wound and they have declined to comment on it really,its almost as if they are closing ranks if you know what I mean.I hope that the infection she has picked up isn't a direct result of the nurse not washing it out.As I said in my first post my daughter is pregnant(7 months) and i'm worried that any infection could affect the baby,especially because the wound in right at the top of her inner thigh/groin area.

[moonshadow]

daffy I think you and your daughter should go and see her Doctor as soon as possible and put him in the picture of what has been going on. How on earth does that nurse expect the wound to heal if she isn't flushing it out ,it isn't a wonder it has got infected and if she isn't careful it could lead to some nasty scarring. Is this woman a qualified nurse?

[garner]

hi daffy... first of all anything the size of an abscess that has been removed or lanced leaves a big hole and it will have to heal from the inside out, thus the packing the nurse is right to flush this will get rid of any gunge that is left.My only fear for your daughter and please do not take this too heart unless you have seen her doctor is the dreaded MRSA but please first go and have a ord with the doctor on this issue but the first part of my answer is correct when dealing with such large [deep] cavities <word>

[daffy654]

Out of the several nurses that have changed my daughter's dressing there is just this one who doesn't flush it out before repacking.The wound is now seeping badly and smells as well. My daughter is having trouble walking because of where the wound is(its right where her knicker leg elastic is).We are still waiting for the result of the swab she had taken on wednesday to find out exactly what infection it is,she has already been on 2 different antibiotics and they didn't prevent or clear up any existing infection so whatever it is is very resistant.I am concerned it could be MRSA.
I am going to insist she sees a doctor tomorrow morning and if they can't see her i'm taking her back to the hospital where they performed the surgery to remove the abscess.

[beejaybee]

Hi Daffy.If it was me, I`d take her straight to the hospital as you`re cutting out the middle man so to speak that way. Please keep us posted.

[beejaybee]

Ps. As for where it is. Fold a few tissues or a cheap stick on sanitary towel over the knicker elastic. One bit under & one over.Making sure the sticky part sticks to the knickers. It should make it a lot more comfortable for her.

[daffy654]

What a good idea beejaybee,as the wound seepage has been staining her underwear(it soaks through the dressing very quickly)it would save the underwear too using sanitary towels.

[daffy654]

My daughter is going to hospital this morning to get her wound debraded to try and remove any infected tissue,she is also bleeding vaginally so she is being admitted to maternity.I am worried sick!!!

[moonshadow]

I am so sorry to hear your bad news daffy, please keep us posted as to how your daughter gets on and try not to worry to much, she is in the best place.

[taliesin238]

It depends on what it is they are packing her wound up with. Many new dressings contain substances that draws out the badness by themselves and should not be washed or else it prevents the substance from working!! If you are worried at all about it you should go and see your doctor. If anything at all worries anybody about their health (does not matter how small or silly it may seem) you should never feel reluctant to go to the doctor for advice. Im a firm beleiver in that, thats what the health service is there for.

[garner]

Oh so sorry for you daffy and your daughter, as the above post remarked she is in the best place at the minute.Lets hope they get everything sorted out, what a worry for you.All the best for you and your daughter, please keep us posted.Good Luck g.

[daffy654]

Hello again everyone,just a quick update on my daughter.
They sent her home from the maternity unit as the bleeding has stopped and they couldn't find where exactly it was coming from,they've told her to go back if it starts again.Baby seems to be doing fine,strong heartbeat and plenty of movement.
They debraded her wound and re-packed and dressed it so only time will tell if the infection has gone now.
Thanks for all your kind words and advice everyone :-)