Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

This finger is infected and needs treatment, right?

33 replies

Natsku · 27/04/2025 09:46

I assume the picture will take a while to show up so I'll try to describe it. A bit over two weeks ago DD pulled a bit of loose skin off her finger on the side of the nail, it then went a bit red and was hurting, I made her clean it well, put some antiseptic cream on and told her to make sure it stays clean. Over Easter it was hurting more and some pus came out and was still red and hurting last Tuesday when she had an appointment with the school nurse for another reason, showed it to the nurse who said it was looking OK and just to carry on keeping it clean and dry. She's been keeping a plaster on it and telling me it was OK and getting better but last night I saw it and it was much more red and a bit swollen and just generally looking much worse.

I told her she needs to go to the school nurse tomorrow because it made need antibiotics now but she is 14 and refusing, saying its feeling better Hmm but surely if it got better and then worse again it's not good and needs seeing? I can't exactly force her at this age (in my country at this age they can mostly make their own health decisions) but I can probably persuade her with enough evidence.

This finger is infected and needs treatment, right?
OP posts:
Totallyexhaustedandperplexed · 27/04/2025 09:49

Looks like a paronychia. Tell her she could potentially lose her finger. It needs an A&E/Urgent treatment centre/ minor injuries unit visit

Tummybanana · 27/04/2025 09:54

Tbh it's hard to tell. It could be the latter, improving stages of a finger infection where the skin is still red where the top layer has sloughed off, but the inflammation has gone down, it doesn't hurt as much etc.

She should definitely show it to the school nurse (I assume boarding school or similar?) or a pharmacist. I wouldn't take it to A and E unless she's in agony, feverish or spreading/tracking redness. But I am not a doctor.

BrucesTooth · 27/04/2025 10:00

My DC had something like this recently (similar cause) and we treated it with Fucidin Cream which is an antibiotic cream. Took a while to clear up fully but stopped hurting pretty fast.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Children's health General health Skin conditions
PoodlesRUs · 27/04/2025 10:00

Looks infected, it's going under the nail and, importantly, towards the joint. If you get an infection in the joint they are a bloody nightmare to get rid of. She needs to see whoever treats infections in your country.

taxcalcconfusion · 27/04/2025 10:01

Could be very serious. I left one because I thought it was healing. Still very red, throbbing at night a week later so went to GP who took swabs and gave me standard antibiotics. Had a call the next day to say swabs showed flesh eating bacteria and needed a specialist antibiotic otherwise I'd need hospital and was at risk of losing the finger. Fortunately antibiotics worked and I only lost the nail...

Zeitumschaltung · 27/04/2025 10:03

My child needed oral antibiotics for an infection like this and lost the nail. I would think she needs to see a doctor

MoistVonL · 27/04/2025 10:04

Soak it in warm salted water, then put some manuka honey on it. DS gets this a few times a year.

I’d pop into a pharmacy to be on the safe side. She might be less embarrassed about doing that than making a fuss at school.

Mumdiva99 · 27/04/2025 10:05

I get this sometimes. Soaking it can help get the infection to come out. But it would usually be gone in a couple of weeks. Sometimes they do need AB's to help to clear it up.
As it's a week since she showed the nurse there is no harm in her going to show it - just to check the nurse is either happy it is getting better or the nurse will suggest another treatment.

mjf981 · 27/04/2025 10:20

This needs swabbing and a course of antibiotics. I'm almost certain if you squeezed the base of that nail some pus would come out.

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 27/04/2025 10:36

@Natsku looks like this nail is definitely going to come off!!! get to the doc for goodness sake!

Original poster
Natsku · 27/04/2025 10:45

Tummybanana · 27/04/2025 09:54

Tbh it's hard to tell. It could be the latter, improving stages of a finger infection where the skin is still red where the top layer has sloughed off, but the inflammation has gone down, it doesn't hurt as much etc.

She should definitely show it to the school nurse (I assume boarding school or similar?) or a pharmacist. I wouldn't take it to A and E unless she's in agony, feverish or spreading/tracking redness. But I am not a doctor.

Not boarding school but in my country school age children are primary dealt with by the school health system so there's a school nurse in every day.

I'm going to show her these responses to convince her. She was scared of it being infected with flesh eating bacteria (thanks to her friend telling her about it) when it was first sore but I must have reassured her too well because now she's not bothered about infection at all!

She doesn't have a fever or anything so I'm sure it's not serious yet but might get bad if she doesn't get it treated.

OP posts:
taxcalcconfusion · 27/04/2025 10:50

@Natsku I didn't have any fever/temp or any other symptoms other than the sore finger when mine was diagnosed. If she starts to get a fever that would suggest it's progressing to sepsis, not to be messed with!

ODFOx · 27/04/2025 10:57

I’d soak that in a bowl of warm water and dettol/savlon liquid for half an hour or so. Chances are that it will drain quite a bit but most importantly the skin will get waterlogged with disinfectant. Allow to dry and put on a clean dressing, checking daily. You should see some improvement in 24 hours. Either way, don’t wait to treat it until she can see a nurse.

TourangaLeila · 27/04/2025 11:03

Why are you waiting to treat this op? It's a very at home treatable situation. What have you tried so far?

Original poster
Natsku · 27/04/2025 11:05

TourangaLeila · 27/04/2025 11:03

Why are you waiting to treat this op? It's a very at home treatable situation. What have you tried so far?

Cleaning thoroughly, antiseptic cream, and keeping it clean. When the nurse said to continue doing the same I assumed I was treating it right.

OP posts:
Original poster
Natsku · 27/04/2025 11:12

taxcalcconfusion · 27/04/2025 10:50

@Natsku I didn't have any fever/temp or any other symptoms other than the sore finger when mine was diagnosed. If she starts to get a fever that would suggest it's progressing to sepsis, not to be messed with!

I always thought if an infection was bad there would be fever or symptoms like tracking, didn't think it could be that bad without any other symptoms. I will tell her this too, that she still needs to be seen and treated and that I was wrong.

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 27/04/2025 11:19

I had a horrible one of these a while back. I'd tried all the recommended home treatments but nothing came out. It was swollen and throbbing so I went to urgent care. The nurse used a numbing spray then did a small incision and squeezed until the gunk came out. She did clean and dress it too. Turned out it was quite deep! I had a course of antibiotics too.
The relief once the pus was out was so good as the throbbed stopped.
My nail did come off but it grew back pretty quickly.

TheGriffle · 27/04/2025 11:24

My dd had similar and I had to take her to Urgent Care (based in A&E, was a weekend and no GP.) they took one look at it and prescribed antibiotics for a week which cleared it up.

MrsCravensworth · 27/04/2025 11:27

Mine was like that this time last year. It was so sore that I did get a 5 day course of antibiotics prescribed.

I tried soaking it in salt water etc, but it was just gettting redder and more puss filled.

Isobel201 · 27/04/2025 11:30

I had that, I tried to get into the doctors same day but couldn't, and then by the time I got into the appointment (emergency saturday one) it had got better.

BurntBroccoli · 27/04/2025 11:35

If you have any hydrogen peroxide I would mix some with warm boiled water and dip the finger into it. It will fizz a lot but will clean the infection.

RichardOsmansfondueset · 27/04/2025 11:48

My son was an extreme nail biter and would get these paronychia infections occasionally. Always needed a week of antibiotics and would heal quickly. I wouldn’t recommend home remedies at all (healthcare professional here). Get to the GP tomorrow

CherryRipe1 · 27/04/2025 11:51

I recently had this, was prescribed fusidic acid cream . My nail is growing out all gnarly now. She might need antibiotics.

Feathers72829292 · 27/04/2025 12:14

Someone I know’s daughter had similar from sucking her thumb after it had been cut and it caused cellulitis and required 5 days in hospital. Stop stalling on getting it treated.

uncomfortablydumb60 · 27/04/2025 14:59

Yes, it looks like what used to be called a whitlow