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Original poster

What do I do now: health care professional advice please

45 replies

Coldemort · 10/01/2020 15:41

I had surgery yesterday on a large abscess on my groin. It's an open wound that needs daily packing/dressing.

I cant get an appointment for tomorrow. GP surgery is shut, out of hours don't have any appointments, my nearest walkin centre is about 15 miles away and they wont take appointments or guarantee I can be seen. I cant sit for long periods of time. GPs said only options left are to do it myself/get family member to do it, or go to A&E but my local A&E is on red alert so could be waiting up to 9 hours.

I've an appointment for sunday, this would be 50 hours between today's dressing change and then.

Due to location I cant really do it myself so would need to ask family member, but I'm really not sure asking a non professional to do the packing, especially as I'm only just out of surgery. So options are:

  1. just leave it 50 hours without change
  2. change the dressing but leave the existing packing in
  3. ask my mum to see what she can do and try and pack it.

I've got all the 'equipment' I'm just worried if the packing isn't done properly I'm opening myself up to infection risk, or even affecting how it will heal.

I think I'm tempted to just leave it till sunday, but it's still very leaky/bloody.

Any advise please? I'm getting myself a wee bit worked up over it.

OP posts:
happypotamus · 10/01/2020 15:46

Call the ward where you were yesterday and ask their advice. I am a nurse but have never worked in surgery and have no idea whether it would be ok to wait until Sunday. They will be able to advise. If it is not ok to wait until Sunday and there are no other options, a nurse on the ward might be able to do it for you?

ClientListQueen · 10/01/2020 15:47

I have HS so used to abscesses and packing! I would leave the packing and change the dressing yourself. Depends how much there is, I had one that was meant to be packed but when I looked it was literally a tiny piece so I redid it myself

Didiplanthis · 10/01/2020 15:48

Agree call the ward. Usually our minor injuries unit would do this in this situation.

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Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 15:51

@ClientListQueen it is HS!
I didn't think to call the ward. Think I have the number on the discharge paperwork... hobbles off to go find...
It's quite deep, I would post pic but don't think that's allowed!

OP posts:
NeighbourProblems · 10/01/2020 15:57

Definitely don't pack it yourself, whatever you do!

Cuddling57 · 10/01/2020 16:08

Are you already on antibiotics?

BuddhaAtSea · 10/01/2020 16:08

Don’t touch it yourself, please. Call the ward.

AngelOfDeathNix · 10/01/2020 16:11

Call the ward for advice, probably too late in the day now, but a referral to the district nurses would be beneficial for wound packing and dressing.

Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:11

I'm not on antibiotics.

Trying to find the paperwork with the ward number in. GP surgery did say to just get a family member to do it? I don't think I even own tweezers though to get the packing out.

OP posts:
Sharkyfan · 10/01/2020 16:12

What was the plan when you were discharged?
Am surprised that district/community nurses aren’t involved? They can normally respond quickly. Can you get the number for district nurses and self refer? May depend on area

Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:13

District nurse wasn't mentioned as an option. Didn't occur to ask either Confused

OP posts:
ClientListQueen · 10/01/2020 16:15

I know last time I had one I was expected to go to the GP daily to have the nurse do it there. District/community nurses wouldn't come out as I was mobile so expected to make my own way to surgery . But as it needed doing for months I ended up doing it myself as I couldn't go daily due to being at work
Mine was like a ribbon of packing, then it went down to an iodine dressing
Keep an eye on where the adhesive is as they swapped mine due to reacting to it

Didiplanthis · 10/01/2020 16:16

Its probably not too late to get a district nurse referral for tomorrow ? Surgery might grump a bit but its worth a try.

Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:16

There was no plan other than advised to contact GP surgery to arrange daily packing

OP posts:
ClientListQueen · 10/01/2020 16:17

Sounds very familiar (and frustrating)
If it's anything like my area, if you're not house/bed bound then district nurses won't touch it
If it's leaking through the dressing I would change the top dressing

Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:18

@ClientListQueen the packing is Alginate Rope

OP posts:
Wildidle · 10/01/2020 16:20

Not a healthcare professional but my husband had a wound on his neck from an abscess that required packing. I did it for him after a couple of weeks to stop the daily visits to the GPs but couldn't have done it in the first few days, he found it incredibly painful. Sorry, no advice and the situation is shit for you, I hope you find a solution.

ClientListQueen · 10/01/2020 16:21

That's the same I had. Mine was packed maybe twice by the nurses but because it was fairly shallow I felt ok doing it myself (maybe an inch deep?)
HS is shite

Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:22

Just left an answer phone message with the ward

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:24

@ClientListQueen isn't it just. Have had the same procedure before but last time it was emergency surgery so expected it to be more chaotic.
I tried calling my FP surgery last week to try and book advanced appointments so I wouldn't have this problem but they said I could arrange the appointments until after I'd had the surgery. And here we are...

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldemort · 10/01/2020 16:26

*GP
And couldnt arrange appointments

Sorry still a bit drained from the GA and last thing I feel like doing is trying to sort this out Sad

OP posts:
ClientListQueen · 10/01/2020 16:27

I just get frustrated with it. Cost me a fortune in dressings, nobody would do it, it didn't heal anyway and I lived with a hole in my armpit for 6 months. Eventually I stropped, got referred and had plastic surgery and they constructed a flap which solved the issue

I know people say don't do it yourself but if it's going to be there for a while, it's not always possible to go daily especially if you work FT

Anotherunimaginativeusername · 10/01/2020 16:27

I'm a nurse (not surgical). Don't remove any packing yourself, it needs sterile forceps. District nurses are v unlikely to visit you, as you're not housebound. I would phone the GP surgery again and get politely cross, explain you've just had surgery and need an urgent appointment as your wound is oozing and you're worried about infection, it's a deep wound and needs a nurse, it's not just changing a plaster! Failing that definitely call the ward, have your hospital number to hand so they can see you're one of their patients. If it is oozing it needs changing. Failing that you need to go to minor injuries unit ( which might be part of your a&e). Worsr case scenario change the top dressing but I really wouldn't touch the packing.

Anotherunimaginativeusername · 10/01/2020 16:29

You might end up doing it yourself eventually as a previous poster says but I would expect this to be something agreed between you and the treatment room nurse, and planned, not just something you're driven to do out of desperation!

Mosaic123 · 10/01/2020 16:30

I know it would be expensive but could you see if there is a private hospital nearby that would do it as an outpatient? Maybe just the once and you can speak (harshly) to your Dr on Monday morning.