Cuts, stitches and scarring

[AuntieBulgaria]

DD (4) cut her leg last Friday night when she knocked the cafetiere out of the cupboard and a piece of glass caught her on the shin.

We went to A&E and after a little debate they glued it, put steri-strips a padded plaster and finally a bandage on top.

We were told to try and get her to take it easy and keep it dry for 5 days. Not having a bath was fine but she's almost impossible to keep still.

As per the instructions, the dressings came off tonight - the cut doesn't look infected and the skin around in looks healthy but it hasn't completely closed up - it is still apart by about a millimetre along the whole of the 5 cm length. Originally, when it was first done the edges of the cut were probably 3 mm apart but when it was glued they got the edges to touch, so it has worked its way apart.

DD was quite stoic in the hospital about the cut but was very, very upset at the thought of stitches or possibly even more the thought of the injection one would need for an anaesthetic.

I assume we need to get her to a GP to have a look at it in the morning but does anyone if stitches are likely now? Or will it just be left to heal with a scar?

I think that's just how they heal.

Ds was badly bitten by a dog last year, he had a huge straight gash down his nose, they stitched it with those sticky stitches as apparently they won't use real stitches on a dog bite, something to do with infection.

Anyhoo, his looked perfectly closed when they did it and I was really pleased, thinking he would have a very fine scar, but like you once the stitches came off it was apparent that it would be much wider.

Check with the gp is you are worried. Ds had to have a daily wound check at the dr's for 8 days and it was nice to have the reasurance that all was well.

I was recomended this on here and after only a few weeks I can see an improvement.

Hope everything goes well for your dd

Oh your poor DS, that sounds terrifying. I'm glad the silicone treatment is helping - does that mean it's quite a noticeable scar currently?

When the stitches came off and it was still apart, did he have to keep a dressing on it?

I am assuming as it's still open we need to keep it covered over to keep the germs out. Will try and see GP in the morning.

Thanks

tHEY WON'T GENERALLY STITCH UP ANY WOUND THAT IS MORE THAN A FEW HOURS OLD. sorry caps lock making me look demented

Usually stitches are only used within approx 6 hrs of the wound occurring, otherwise you risk sealing in contamination, if the scar ends up looking an awful state they could refashion it but it is very likely to improve further given plenty of time.

Hmm, yes it is much more noticable than I would like, though tbf ds loves it and doesn't like having the silicone on as he doesn't want it to go.

Ds had to keep his stiches on for 8 days and then they wern't taken off, we were told to just let them fall off naturally so as not to put any stress on the scar, I think they were all gone in about 12 days, so much longer than your dd, so I'm not sure tbh. Hope you manage to get it sorted tomorrow.

Thanks MoaningMajesty - DD will be very pleased about that - she says she doesn't mind having a scar. DH thinks she may feel differently when she's older.

In the end it was the choice of the nurse practitioner to glue it and I'm sure if she thought stitches would have been better that's what she would have done, regardless of DD's protests.

The steri strips are still on it and over it still, the nurse said they would curl up and peel off in ten days. It took over an hour to gently peel off the big sticky plaster without DD going apeshit though, so would like to find an alternative dressing it is going to require checking a lot.

Oh I misunderstood, I thought you meant you had taken the steri strips off.

Unless you become concerned about infection, I don't think there is any need to go to the gp.

Sorry, that was me not being very clear. Bandage and big plaster came off (eventually) so we could take a look but steri strips stayed on and then we covered it back over. I think we were just expecting it to be closed up. And DD is keen to know if she can 'run about again' and go to swimming on Saturday so I think I'll keep the appt just to ask the questions.

Thanks for the v helpful responses though.

GP says it is healing well and put a non-sticky dressing on ( as the removal of the plaster in the doctor's office prompted massive fussing.) Can take the whole lot off on Monday. He said it would scar but it would get smaller as she grew.

Just be sure to protect it from the sun for the whole summer. Use a sun block stick or cover it with a plaster. It will be almost invisible with the years. But you have to take good care of the scar now. Rosa Moscata oil or the La crème de La Mer (very $$$$$ but worked fine in my face)