What would do - dh injured himself

[ForFuckSakeWhatNow]

So dh fell over and ‘skimmed his knee’ - his description.
I can see a bit of skin hanging through a hole of his trousers so I’m going to say it needs looking at.

There is no minor injury clinic where I live. I’ve just checked.

What would do? Dh will not go to A&E. won’t be able to see a doctor or nurse for a few days either.

Im at loss at what to advise him - esp as he is extremely reluctant ‘to make a fuss’
He is currently in the shower and told me he will just ‘cut the hanging skin off’

If he's not bleeding profusely, there's no bone through the skin, or debris trapped in the wound I'd agree with your DH. It sounds like a scuff, definitely no need for A&E!

No, don't cut the hanging skin off!!!! He needs to clean the area up really well with soap and water and put the skin back when dressing the wound. If it's all clean, no grit inside, etc, the old skin will help with healing.

He needs to keep his eye on it for signs of infection and get it treated if it gets infected.

I wouldn't do anything? Unless he's got severe dementia or something that means you think he can't make decisions for himself?

Why would he need to go to A&E for a cut knee? This is weird.

It’s up to him, he’s a grown man. In a couple of hours when he realises he’s opening up the wound with every step, he’ll ask you to take him to A&E. up to him.

If he's managed to shower with it then it's not that bad. He's skinned his knee a bit, not exactly an a&e job.

Last time dh skimmed his knees, he ended up with two general anaesthetics. First one to clean the wound. Second after a few days of IV antibiotics to close it. And that’s only after a paramedic told him to go because they could see the knee bone. He wouldn’t have gone otherwise…. He could still walk you see…

I simply don’t trust him his sense of ‘it’s ok. It’s only a bit of skin’.

It doesn’t solve my initial question though.
If you have an injury that is ‘minor injury clinic’ level and there isn’t such a clinic where you live, what do you do?

It's unlikely he'll need a&e. I fell out running once, when peeling my running tights off there was loads of skin and blood came away with them 🤢😂 I just kept it clean and dressed it, I was fine. Unless he's bleeding profusely or has a condition that could make him bleed more than normal, just wait for the body to do its own healing process

If he's being all ridiculous about it you could have a look at and then you can decide whether you want to continue to give it brain space.

Dh is down.
He has put a gauze over it. No cleaning. And no water over that leg either. He has vaguely washed the blood that was all over his leg. (Not fully either)

He’s a grown adult who can make his own decisions, when it hurts enough , smells or feels ill I’m sure he will decide to go somewhere . I’d be more concerned about why he falls over in the first place .

After your latest update I'd leave him to it, unless he has dementia or some other condition that means he isn't able to be responsible for his own health.

If you don’t have a minor injury unit, you book an appointment with a nurse at your GP surgery for them to have a look at it.

It only needs A&E if it’s very deep and needs stitches, or he’s losing lots and lots of blood. Even if he developed an infection you’d still go to GP as first port of call for it to be cleaned and antibiotics.

Stick some Savlon on it and keep it clean.

It’s a skinned knee not a skimmed knee!

How is a grown man skinning his knees this often?

makes a change from the usual MN posts about men exaggerating their illnesses...

Clean it and dress it. If he's too crap to do so, you could do it. It doesn't need escalating to medical professionals. Just because he was so useless before that he needed GAs doesn't mean you can't intervene earlier this time.

It needs cleaning. Salt water will do. Boil kettle, dissolve salt, let cool, take cotton wool and dip in water, drizzle over wound from top so debris is washed out, do not put used cotton wool back into the salt water take a fresh piece each time. If that's not enough to clean it and there's embedded dirt and it's too painful to touch to get it out then a&e for a thorough cleaning under local anaesthetic but expect a long wait. Once clean use the gauze dressing, unless you can see bone or its deep and oozing clear sticky fluid (joint fluid) those are a&e jobs. Don't cut the skin off, it doesn't help the body to have to grow new skin, the old skin will heal itself back into place again and leave a smaller scar than if he cuts it off. If the wound keeps reopening it needs stitches. If it swells up and becomes hot or visibly oozes puss, it may need antibiotics, book a GP appointment.

We need a photo.

If you have an injury that is ‘minor injury clinic’ level and there isn’t such a clinic where you live, what do you do?

At my local hospital, there is A&E and you are triaged and sent over to another building for minor injuries clinic.

My friend did this. He put a dressing on it and it was fine. Cant see why it needs any medical attention?

No minor injuries where I live, don’t cut anything off if you think he needs medicinal attention I’d ring 111 they might send you to a&e or one of the doctors appts at the hospital rather than your own gp.

Are you saying that someone who has opened his knee up to the bone - as you could see the bone - is someone useless?!?

Wow

Thank you. That is helpful

Thank you.

Ill check with dh is he actually has cut the skin off.