Does this wound look infected? Do I need to seek help tonight?

[GrazeConcern]

DS grazed his knee in the swimming pool on Friday, he said it felt sore so we’ve been putting germoline on it and he says it hurts much less now. However I’ve just taken a look at it and feel a bit horrified. Any mn wisdom? I will obviously seek nhs advice too but sometimes it’s useful to know what others think!

The scab in the middle is hard but it’s like the skin around is peeling off in a bigger area each day and weeping.

A wonderful old-school nurse who I used to work with in a voluntary role once told me to never use creams like savlon or germoline on an open wound. All it does is introduce a wet breeding ground for germs. Keep it clean and dry, cover with a dressing if clothing rubs on it. Monitor it to see if the sore area gets bigger or if it becomes hot to touch. If it's on a bendy joint (like a knee) I encourage mine to rest it where possible so bending the knee isn't stretching the skin too much and aggrevating the healing process (also gives me an excuse to have them sitting down for a bit 🤭)

I personally think it looks like it's healing. I wouldn't go putting anymore cream on it. Or covering it. I'd let it properly dry out now.

If you're concerned draw around the red and keep an eye on it.

Looks similar to my sons - went to pharmacy who said infection and sent us to gp. It was a staph infection and can be serious.

It's always worth checking out if unsure.

Doesn't look too bad to me, def not emergency worthy.
I've had slightly infected minor wounds (that healed themselves) and they are usually inordinately painful for the size and have a throbby feeling. Him saying it is getting less painful is a good sign. I think the slight weeping is probably the natural 'stuff' you get when it is healing like that, a graze that has skin missing basically has to scab over then re grow the layers of skin, not like a cut sticking together.
It is was mine (knee, not child!) I'd be doing my best to soak it in a mild salt solution or better, epsom salts tonight, then leave it open to air overnight.
And if at all worried or the redness is spreading then minor injuries probably your best bet if you have one. A&e would feel a bit overkill!

Pop into your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to take a look if your worried, they can tell you if it needs looking at.

I had similar issuse with my son pharmacist was lovely and she was correct his wound was heeling fine.

@RubyRooRed OK unbunch your knickers. I said, get some silver gauze in it, that's very good stuff. I said if it doesn't improve, ask the GP surgery. Finally, on noting it was a child and had been getting worse, not better with the usual germaline, etc. that OP may want to see a nurse for a quick look. That's catastrophising? Mm.

Firing squad ready, are they? Jolly good. I can tie my own blindfold... 🙄

You understand that an inflamatory response eg heat,redness and swelling is a response to an injury, not just an infection.

Editing having looked again, if the peeling area is bigger than the original scab? So its getting bigger and wetter, not smaller? Then yes, I would check in minor injuries in the morning. Especially as you said he did it in a swimming pool and they are pretty manky places for bacteria!

Apologies, the catastrophising comment was @SlB09. In which case, same response to you, Sib. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a time waster either. OP asked for opinions, I gave an opinion. Sheesh.

I had a knee graze which looked a lot like this once, turned out to be infected. GP actually told me off for not coming in sooner! (But I did leave it a few weeks)

the scab sat on top but the underneath was sort of squishy. It was like a scab sitting on top of a pile of jam! (Gross sorry)

@Onlyvisiting yes, definitely more has peeled since he did it - it’s probably 50% bigger than the initial injury.

@BlitheSpirits yes I do thanks, due to an A Level in human biology and a related degree.

I agree with this. The central area has scabbed over, which you’d expect five days after the graze, but the seeping edges look odd for so many days later, and I think that could be infection. Getting larger and more leaky isn’t how grazes normally go, the sticky stage is usually over pretty quickly. I think as you said it was a very minor graze, but that it is growing, it does warrant a nurse seeing it.

Leave it open to the air, keep it clean and dry, no creams at all on it. Being inflamed around the edges is normal healing. If the wound gets bigger, redness around it spreads, exudes pus or your child becomes unwell, then seek medical advice.

As you can see, opinions here vary wildly. I'd ask the surgery for a nurse apt. You know what you're doing and it's a precaution worth taking if it's getting worse. They may recommend the silver gauze I mentioned, it helps draw infection away from the deeper layers. Just ask them. Some will say over kill but it's your boy and it's what nurse apts are for.

The only time I have needed to have 2 lots of antibiotics at the same time was when a dog ran into me and took the top layer of skin off - that is it just the top layer of skin and the resultant infection was awful.

it is hard to see from a photo if it is healing or not but defintely see if you can get a nurse or pharmacist to look at it

when DS hurt his knee (12 stitches) it needed one minor injuries visit, one doctors appt and 3 nurses appts to sort out and at the end she was checking it was healing - the last one was just her making sure

Looks just like an infection my friend had growing up. It probably does need some topical antibiotic cream which you can get from online or pharmacy.

Silver dressings are not necessarily appropriate for this type of wound.

Thing is, its on his knee rubbing against his trousers/getting knocked each day. Imo looks normal. Id be inclined to get him in the bath to soak it and clean it out with the water, then dab it dry with a towel. If anything, id pop him to the chemist and show them

I once booked an appointment with my GP because a blister wasn’t healing right and I was afraid it was infected. My friend who works in a hospital said I was being ridiculous and wasting nhs time. I nearly cancelled but the appointment was in 20 minutes’ time so I kept it. The doctor gave me a bit of a telling offfor considering cancelling. It was very infected and I needed antibiotics urgently. I’ve still got a scar.

I’d take him OP, even just to be on the safe side and put your mind at rest.

Seriously , people go their GPS with scabs and grazes 😳

Any infection can result in sepsis.

@Firstfrost I'm sure you're right, as I said, I'm not a doctor. I don't know why the suggestion of seeing a nurse if concerned about an infection in a child is suddenly causing people to pearl clutch. I was just offering a non-nurse apt suggestion but I did also say to ask someone! Not to go buy it on my advice. Sorry if I came across that way, OP.

Go and get that looked at and tell them the history of it. 5 days on I'd expect that to be smaller not bigger, and I don't like the look of it.

Hmm I used to be of the “it’s just a scab it’ll be fine, we were covered in them as kids and we all survived” school of thought, until I ignored ds’s complaints about a scabby foot and regretted it - I eventually (grudgingly) took him to a pharmacist, who took one look at it and sent us to A&E 😳

So, I’d pop him down to a pharmacist just to be on the safe side.

My FIL was in hospital for a week with sepsis after a minor cut became infected. I'm glad he did seek medical attention.

No not at all @Snapandfart24 it was helpful 🙂