Hand infected (Warning, gross photos)

[PIPpityDoodah]

I do have another thread on this but I've been on antibiotics since Thursday and it's just getting worse.

It's still hot and new puss filled blisters are appearing.

Shouldn't the antibiotics have kicked in by now?

It's so sore and embarrassing

Go to urgent care. I took my dad the other day and we saw a nurse then a GP within an hour. Quicker than you'd normally expect
That looks so sore

How old are you OP? It looks a bit like Bullous Pemphigoid which the NHS website says is more common in those over 60.

Whatever it is it may require a strong steroid to subdue it.

I think this is contact dermatitis of some sort - I had something similar a while back after doing some deep cleaning at home. If you’ve come into contact with raw laundry detergent and bleach it may have set up a reaction which has now become infected. I’d start with 111.

Alternative theory here - if it came on after cleaning washing machine it may be enzymes or other additives in washing powder eating you up. (Or of course a reaction to the conditioner, which seems to be your theory). There is NOTHING I can find online about treatments for this*, but especially if you use biological stuff, mention this when you finally get to see a health professional.

*just a whole lot of crap singing the virtues of biological detergents....

I agree with it this as a possibility . I get this type of eczema on my fingers occasionally. It is itchy, like small blisters -was the initial rash of bumps itchy OP ?

Looking at your photos @PIPpityDoodah , I'm wondering if that could be scabies.
I hope you get it sorted out quickly, because it looks incredibly sore, and it must be so inconvenient.

I agree with others. Just go. I had cellulitis in my thumb after a wasp sting once, and the GP said that if I'd waited any longer, it'd probably have beeb hospital on a drip with the strongest antibiotics.

Cellulitis and sepsis isn't something worth waiting to see if it improves. Time is always against you. Just bloody go. Please.

Have you got a small injuries unit near you. The wait can be much much less than A&E, last few times I’ve used them at ours it’s been an hour.
It looks terrible and should be seen I think.
They can clean and dress and may decide to change the antibiotic if you don’t feel like it working.

I get this too, quite a lot. I've had it for years, usually it starts as itchy small blisters on the sides of my fingers. I then have the awful urge to scratch them when they really tingle and itch, and sometimes the blisters pop and weep a bit. They do get quite sore, and I have to be careful to keep them clean and usually put E45 or Sudocrem on them to stop infection.

Yes the antibiotics should be making a difference, they aren’t so you shouldn’t mess around.

Is it impetigo? Google photos online.
Or psoriasis or infected eczema.

It needs a proper diagnosis and perhaps a swab taking to see which treatment is needed.

I think I'd go to A&E as some skin infections can turn into sepsis depending on the type of bacteria.

That could easily be septic. You would be foolish not to go to A&E with that.

If the antibiotics aren't working it seems more like a serious skin reaction from what you said.
Definitely needs another Dr to assess just in case it's infected, they can precscribe something like fucidin (steroid topical antibiotic skin cream).

@PIPpityDoodah, there is a chance this is sepsis.

If you don’t get the right care for sepsis quickly, you can die -
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/easy-read-signs-of-sepsis-and-what-to-do.pdf

It's up to you if you want to take the risk.

The earlier pictures look like scabies but goodness knows what happened between those pictures and the later ones!

I hope you get on ok.

My adult daughter had a hand infection after falling during a run. She had 2 lots of antibiotics and it was not improving. She had been to A and E to check she had not broken her hand as she had a bruise that turned into a blister on her palm. 10 days after the fall she went back to A and E as the blister had got bigger and she was about to go travelling in Asia. When she arrived at A and E she started to feel sick, was shivery and had a feeling of impending doom. She had the start of sepsis. She was taken straight to surgery. They aspirated the blister and a 2cm thorn popped out. She ended up being admitted and spent 5 days in hospital on an iv drip and had a further op to clean out the hand.

We never thought a blister on the hand/hand infection could have nearly killed her.

Are people missing where the OP stated that she used neat bleach without gloves?!

It's a chemical burn OP and you need to get it dressed properly. Putting any kind of lotion/cream is likely to be making it much worse.

hope ooh sees you- soon. x

I'm glad you've called 111 OP. Please take your health seriously - using bleach without gloves and refusing to go to A&E is daft and infuriating when you've clearly got an infection from your description.

No. It was watered down in a spray bottle.

I also agree that it's pompholyx that's infected. I also occasionally get it on my fingers (soooo itchy!).

It can be caused by contact with chemicals in cleaning products (too late now, but why didn't you use rubber gloves?!).

You are in danger of sepsis. A&E.

Maybe ask to see a wound care nurse.

No, but I also saw the OP's original post where she said it was incredibly itchy. Are chemical burns itchy?

Pompholyx eczema can also be caused by chemicals.

But hopefully the OP will be seen soon, given a proper diagnosis and treatment.