To go to A&E?

[Chocolattay]

I’ve never had any kind of reaction to anything before.

Went for lunch at a cafe with my friend and our babies. Used the hand sanitizer (alcohol based) in the toilet and instant agony, hand swelling up. I was in there 5 minutes biting my lip in pain and soaking my hand under cold water. My friend ended up in coming in and checking on me as she’d started to wonder why I had been so long.

Had to ring DH to be picked up as pushing the pram was agony.

Been home an hour now and am still in so much pain. My hands are swollen and red and bleeding in places. When I say it’s agony I mean it. Having read up online, alcoholic hand sanitisers don’t usually cause allergic reactions and it’s more likely to be a chemical burn.

WIBU to go to minor injuries? I’m in that much pain I can’t tend to my baby.

Our pharmacists wouldn't be able to deal with this.
Gp and Walk in surgery would refer to a and e.

Some areas have minor injuries who may well be able to help. But I know not all areas have them and not all will deal with this kind of chemical burn type injury.

A and E isn't just for life endangering injuries. It would be appropriate for this type of injury. There may, however, be a long wait if other emergencies come in.

I hope you are in a&e now as waiting can make it harder to treat.
It looks very painful.

@Blogblogblogblog

I worked in a factory and someone switched caustic soda solution for washing machinery with hand soap. It may be innocent but could be serious.

Bloody hell!!

Did anyone sue?!?

My local walk-in is small enough that would be probably be sent to a&e at triage. You definitely need more than a pharmacist.

I must admit some of the posts have me laughing. It’s classic message board bingo. Op: My hand is painful, bright red and inflamed and it may be spreading.

Response: keep an eye on it, but you don’t really need to be seen.

Why ask us when it's plain obvious you should go to A&E!!!

Nasty chemical burn DS as a KP student had to use stuff like this, very nasty

Tell the place where you got it in case there is a issue with the product you used. I wouldn’t go to ae myself unless it wasn’t getting better in a couple of hours.

Draw a pen mark round it if it is spreading go. In case it’s not the product but cellulitis

@Tilltheend99

If the cafe just refill bottles (a lot of places do this) then someone may have put the wrong thing in the bottle so you should definitely get it checked out.

I agree with this. They could have put in some sort of cleaning product, as everything comes in those big bottles.

OP, vaseline or paraffin-based thick ointment will be your friend. I had a massive burn reaction to scotch bonnet chillis about 20 years ago and ended up in A&E and this is what they gave me. It takes the heat out and moisturises.

@2022HereWeCome

OP, vaseline or paraffin-based thick ointment will be your friend. I had a massive burn reaction to scotch bonnet chillis about 20 years ago and ended up in A&E and this is what they gave me. It takes the heat out and moisturises.

It’s needs to be assessed in A&E before anything is applied.

Why do people come on MN asking this question? You could have called 111 by now and had proper advice.

Just in the waiting room now having been seen by triage.

I hadn’t considered maybe it wasn’t hand sanitiser at all. If so I hope it wasn’t some twat doing it on purpose

I did mention baby (who’s at home with DH, seems perfectly fine and she hasn’t come into contact with my hands since the incident) and the triage nurse seemed more concerned that she may have come into contact with a potential chemical hazard through my hand. I took special care not to touch her though and only handled her with gloves whilst waiting for DH to come home and she seems fine. Phoned DH asking him to check her over and he can’t see anything.

I really do think it’s probably a reaction the sanitiser had with the hand cream as I had slathered the hand cream on this morning.

@Toanewstart23

I’d take an antihistamine Wait 30 mins And only then consider MI

Don't do this. That looks like a burn, not an allergic reaction, and it is likely to need early attention.

Glad you've been triaged OP and hope you're treated and off home soon.

Looks a nasty one.

It's a chemical burn, I probably would go but be prepared to wait hours as it's not an "emergency".

Hope it's something they can sort out soon, for you. Looks so sore!

Poor you, let us know how you get on

@OurWorldIsChanging

Ring 111 now, since covid the majority of MIUs are appointment only anyway it will take some time for them to get back to you.

Are they? I didn't know that. DH had an accident last week so I shoved him in the car and took him straight to minor injuries. It didn't even occur to me to mess about on the phone!

8 hope you're ok OP

Hope you're ok op you were definitely right to get it checked out.

Question- do some pharmacists deal with minor injuries? Any around here would send people to GP or A+E. They are not doctors and can't diagnose. Or at least that's what the one in my local told me once.

I assume you washed it with soap afterwards, tried antihistamine, and also some anti burn cream?

@Sarahcoggles

I assume you washed it with soap afterwards, tried antihistamine, and also some anti burn cream?

Why would you put soap on a chemical burn / allergic reaction? Why would you apply anti-burn cream?

This really looked very nasty. I don't get people who'd suggest everything else instead of going straight to minor injuries.
I don't get you people, what should it get to be seen by a doctor? Dying? This looks like a chemical burn, the longer the OP experiments with it, the longer it has time to spread and damage the skin.

very odd