Is this normal for a gardening cut?

[tobeforgotten]

It is three days old, I’m in late 40s.

I didn’t apply antiseptic as I usually ignore gardening cuts. It is near the knuckle (maybe that’s where the expression comes from!)

Just wondered if it is infected in a way that needs treatment.

Photos,

Any chance you have a splinter in there?

It does look infected. Nip into the chemist and the pharmacist can give you advice. I’ve never found a pharmacist to be anything other than helpful, though one saved me from developing full blown sepsis, so I may be biased. 😁

Please get it checked, I’m sure it will resolve itself but you can get serious complications from infections picked up in the garden.

Maybe have a pharmacist look at it. They'll know whether you need antibiotics or not.

And by the way - when was the last time you had a tetanus booster?

I know someone who had an amputation as a result of a gardening cut that was left too long. Don't ignore it.

I would suspect a splinter that needs taken out. If not some antibiotic cream from chemist should sort it.

And for this to lead to amputation it will have got majorly worse over a long period of time and been totally ignored.

Hence saying don't ignore it...

thanks. I suspect there is a splinter but it may be quite a big one.
I need to reconcile myself to gardening gloves.

I'll go down to the pharmacy.

Soak it as often as you can in warm saltwater, and give it a gentle prod around the edges. Try and gently reopen the wound. Hopefully, it will ease the splinter out (in a little gush of watery pus).

Was it bamboo or flax by any chance?
IME, they both tend to harbour fungus and I have had some nasty places from dealing with them.

I was just about to say I'd soak that for at least 20 mins and see if that has an effect. I find splinters tend to ease out or at least be more visible after a good soaking.

Then as others have said pop to a pharmacist in the am.

How’s your finger, OP? Is it still attached?

Get some magnesium sulphate paste in their to draw out any splinters..

I love mumsnet, what great advice :)

yes, the finger is attached, with magnesium paste and a plaster.

Pharmacist said that because there's no pus there's probably no infection yet.

Can't believe I didn't think of soaking it!

I asked the pharmacist how on earth the magnesium sulphate could work and she said she didn't know!

Magnesium paste is ( or at least was ) known as drawing ointment. It's great for pulling splinters out.
We kept a pot at the stables I worked at as straw splinters are a real sod to get out.

but how? i mean, that's crazy!

is it witchcraft? how do we find a chemist to explain this?

I have absolutely no idea how it works but I know it does and that's good enough for me👌

how often do you put it on? (the horse, or you whichever it is)

It's a salt, so it absorbs water I think. Everything then moved up toward the surface to replace it, i assume.
(Not a chemist)

Ah thank you

How's it looking?

Better:)