Any doctors/nurses that could answer a wound dressing question for me please?

[Shodan]

Sunday just gone (so 5 days ago) I had an argument with a mandoline and lost, badly. I managed to cut a slice out of my thumb pad and it bled and bled and bled.

The lovely matron at my local a and e bandaged it all up with a pressure bandage (giving me what DP helpfully described as Penis Thumb) and sent me home, with strict instructions not to pull off the 'fuzzy dressing' that is adhered to the wound. She also gave me four padded plaster things to change the dressing after 48 hours of Penis Thumb, which I duly did.

DP has changed it again just now. The 'fuzzy stuff' is solid with blood (and smells rather unpleasant too). It also reaches all the way around my thumb, so essentially encasing the nail as well.

The matron said I should leave it until it falls off, but I don't see how it can fall off if it's basically 'glued' with dried-on blood all around the top of my thumb. My question is basically this- will it just fall off when it's ready? Or should I be doing something more to assist? The wound is clearly not ready yet- it throbs very occasionally, but is generally more use than it was earlier in the week, so I assume it's healing.

The only part of it I find slightly concerning is the smell.

If it smells offensive it could be infected. You may require antibiotics. You'd perhaps have a raised temperature and see pus from the wound though in that case.

If you suspect infection I'd go to your GP surgery first thing Monday.

There isn't any pus and I don't have a temperature, I think it's a combo of the dressing and dried blood (I don't have a strong stomach for blood). It's more just that I don't see how it can fall off of its own accord if it's stuck to the nail.

I’d leave it until tomorrow and then soak it off , the only reason I’d do it tomorrow is in case it looks really manky and you end up needing to go back to minor injuries .