to think DP should see the doc urgently!

[Equallength]

One leg has been swollen for a while. It comes and goes and a few years ago he had cellulitis in the same leg. He’s scratched it today in the garden and it’s bleeding a bit but more worryingly is leaking fluid! I know there’s an association with congestive heart failure, which has worried me a bit as he has a low heart rate to begin with.

Hes 54 and otherwise fit bit recently gets a bit out of breath. WWYD?

I’m going to disagree with the cellulitis diagnosis.
Your dp has a clear case of venous insufficiency, which is causing lymphoedema, which is what the leaking fluid is caused by.

The scratch needs cleaning up, but it’s a bit of a red herring here. The cause is more chronic. Definitely needs to be addressed medically though.

I too would be concerned about DVT. The colour of his feet also doesn't look right and his heart rate shouldn't be that low.

If his legs turn out to just be swollen due to bad circulation once the cut heals up he needs flight type support socks on during the day & only take them off to go to bed.

Mark the red area with a pen and see if it's spreading.

It doesn't look like cellulitis to me but hard to see from the photo.

Is it hot to touch? Painful? Is the stuff coming out of it smelly?

Do you have a local rapid response team who could see him at home and take some bloods?

If he's feeling otherwise well in himself I don't think it needs a&e.

If the shortness of breath has been ongoing for a while it's not an a&e job (unless it's a lot worse than usual), but does need checking out with the GP.

Bloody hell that’s a very good fit to the way his legs look!

Does he do lots of cardio exercise OP? My DHs resting heart rate is usually 40-45, but thats down to running giving him a healthy heart.

Is that still an a@e job then? Or will it wait?

Yes he does but not so much as to account for it being THAT low. He’s not a distance runner or anything.

I have a very low resting heart rate (under 50) and during my check ups my gp told me that anything regularly under 45 is considered bradycardia and should be closely monitored and possibly medicated.
so, yes, he needs to be seen. his cough could also be related (water in the lungs).

Let us know how he gets on at A&E

People can get this with cellulitis, or lymphoedema, as a PP said.

@Equallength Let us know how it goes. Try not to panic as it needn't be anything major like heart failure. He's already been told he has cellulitis and this can be a symptom of that. x

The breathlessness combined with the swollen legs would have me concerned about a blood clot. I know of someone in recent years who had breathlessness for a number of months. Young person. They ended up dying in a very traumatic situation (unable to breathe) due to very large blood clot in the lung.

There are two reasons for ‘bad circulation’. One is venous and the other is arterial. Both affect the blood flow to the extremities, including lower limbs. The problem with your advice is that while compression is recommended treatment for venous insufficiency, it can be disastrous for arterial problems. You don’t mess about with this kind of thing. Peripheral Arterial Disease can and does result in amputation if it’s not treated properly so proper medical advice is always necessary.

I wonder how many of the prior confidently pronouncing they know EXACTLY what it is from the photos and description are medically qualified? 🤔🤔🤔

Regardless he needs to be seen whether that's by waiting for 111 or going to A+E or minor injuries. Any of these approaches are reasonable and yes I am a doctor (and it could be any of the things mentioned which is why he needs to be seen and examined to confirm the diagnosis)

PEOPLE not prior (autocorrect is a twat)

Having had cellulitis before, he is more at risk of lymphoedema as the inflammation during the infection can damage the lymphatics.

One swollen leg, that leaks lymphatic fluid, and appears to be prone to getting further infections - likely to be lymphoedema.

Lymphoedema requires longer courses of antibiotics when you have cellulitis as it makes it harder for the infection to clear - and of course every infection damages the lymphatic system further.

Hope he went to get seen.

Yes indeed, it is sensible and pragmatic to remember that not everyone is who they say they are on the internet. So say, if someone posts 'I am a doctor' we should treat their pronouncements with equal caution. Good to get a reminder, thank you.

OP I hope he is being seen to. Best wishes.

My cellulitis was dismissed by my GP, first bout of sepsis resulted in insufficient antibiotics from A&E, second bout of sepsis, dealt with at a teaching hospital led to IV antibiotics and an antibiotic prescription measured in grams which finally dealt with it.
My pitting edema led to me being told 'keep your foot raised' but a senior nurse told me much later that in her hospital, they would keep the leg raised at an angle of 45 degrees for a fortnight.
Good luck OP.

Personally with great respect to everyone helping..the two posts from the medical professionals are the only 2 you should be listening to abd ut sounds like you are. Hope all is OK.

yikes! Looks painful

Can everyone post their medical qualifications before diagnosing and instructing OP where to go.
Many thanks.

Update. His fabulous arse is now at the hospital, and he’s waiting to be seen. Am very pleased he’s gone and didn’t ignore it.

Why? It means Jack shit.

Hope it's easily resolved.