It's so easy to get a little cut/wound infection

[Geordie_Rob]

***Note to moderators - I wasn't sure wether to put it in medical or threats & risks, so please feel free to put it into a different catagory if you think I've selected the wrong one.***

Incase it's slipped anyone's mind how easy it is for a little cut or wound to get infected, here's what's happened to me.

I recently snapped the side of my finger nail where it meets your finger simply by scratching an itch (one of those awkward ones where no matter how hard you itch, it won't go away). I trimmed away the jagged bit of nail, sprayed some wound wash on & covered with a plaster. I followed on treatment by applying antiseptic cream a few times a day. It still got infected & after gradually getting worse over 5 days (since I snapped it, 3 days since 1st signs of infection), now I have a weeks worth of penicillin to try & kill the infection. Who knows how things might've panned out if I didn't have access to medical care on demand

Nothing exciting or world ending. Just simply a reminder how things can go tits up despite your best efforts.

[Devonian]

Good reminder and if it had happened to a toe nail it could potentially impair your ability to move around and collect food/water etc....

Just shows how minor things can escalate and cause serious problems.

[Steve]

Good reminder Rob. I seem to have a good immune system, most regular scrapes have no effect on me, but thorns from blackthorn bushes become infected unless removed quickly. A good pair of tweezers and small magnifying glass are EDC essentials for me.

[Barneyboy]

Iodine is the way to go ,for me ,just can't get the liquid anymore

[Straight Shooter]

Bloody amazing.....Rob ....two weeks ago ....fixing sheets on the new wood store....i used one of them folding ladders ( had it given me ) ...up i go ...the hinge unlocked or was not fully locked ...came down on my right hand and crushed against it ...as it came down removed skin by the opposing rung.....up house ....cleaned antiseptic spray dressed and bandaged by wifey....that was thursday
a week and two days later ...A&E ....Xray ...Okay.....tetanus shot course of antibiotics and dressed........ simple ......it feels like a sprain......but so easy to get a infection......so even with the correct preps things can and will GO WRONG may well be i did not clean the wound fully ....so be thorough folks .

---

Barney ...you can get iodine.....on amazon....also from some farm supplies ( for animals ) bought two bottles a year ago ....sorry mate no links ....but its out there.

[Barneyboy]

Will look in to that mate cheers for the heads up

[Geordie_Rob]

I'll also look out for the iodine liquid. Cheers for the info on a possible source.

[River Song]

If you can't find pure iodine tincture, then a bottle of TCP is pretty good

[Skean Dhude]

and this is what will get you after an event. Something simply that we have little tolerance for. we get these infections now after all our treatment.

Just make sure you remember this after an event and take a lot more care than you did this time.

[bigpaul]

honey is good for healing cuts and small wounds.