grubby dressing

[3duracellbunnies]

Dd gashed her chin open on thursday. She had glue and steristrips at a+e. Is quite a deep cut about 2cm long. We had to go back as it was bleeding through dressing. Since thurs a bit more blood has seeped out, though not very much. However we were told not to get it wet, but 6 meals, plus snacks, tooth brushing etc later it is looking quite grubby and begining to peel a bit along the top. It might last until tues night, not sure. We have tried to be careful but she is only just 5 and is tricky in that position. It is a sticky cling film type thing with a dressing pad in the middle. Should we just leave it, find someone to replace it, if so who?

I would just change the dressing yourselves - you should be able to get something from boots or any chemist.

As long as the steristrips stay pretty much in place for the first week or so it should be ok.

I am only speaking from when my DS2 gashed his forehead open and had the same glue and steristrips. If you are atall worried can you go back to A&E if it looks like it is all coming off?

Watch it carefully. My five year old dd cut her chin badly last summer and had glue and steri-strips.

Within a couple of days, it was weeping quite a bit, and the nurse at the GPs surgery looked at it, and changed the strips and advised me to take her to see the doctor if it doesn't seem any better. She ended up with a weeks worth of antibiotics, and now has a very noticeable scar. Hers was a triangular cut that went deep and was a flap of skin IYGWIM?

Because it was a neat cut, they glued it rather then stitched it, but I believe it should have been stitched instead.

If the dressing and strips haven't peeled too much, I would wait until Monday and have the nurse check it out.

Your poor dd, will ring the surgery mon am. It is a straight cut, the nurse practioner wasn't sure, but the dr said to just steristrip + glue. It looks like blood begining to come through dressing, but don't know if it is old or new, will see if it gets worse in am, if not ask at surgery on mon. Have heard aloe vera is good for scars, is the only thing I can grow - likes warm conservatory and neglect not too much water.

As long as the glue is still in place and it's not infected it may not need a new dressing over it. It used to be policy not to put exterior dressings over glue and steristrips on facial wounds so hopefully it will be Ok now.

Went to the nurse today and she replaced it with a normal plaster which blends better, and I have some more if needed. They put the dressing on because of the position and to protect it from food/drink. It looks a lot better and not as noticeable for school tomorrow!