My DD has one very swollen leg

[EdwiniasRevenge]

DD fell over and has a nasty gash on her knee.

This needed a dressing. Initially I used one of those that are attatched to open weave bandages as it was the only dressing I had in the house that was large enough.

Yesterday I changed it for a large plaster style dressing but it didn't stick so I used a crepe bandage over the top to keep the dressing in place.

When she woke up this morning her foot and lower leg were very swollen (twice the size of her other leg but she is very very skinny so it doesnt take much extra fluid to double the size iyswim. Foot and leg were normal colour.

I removed the bandage and added extra tape to keep thw dressing in position first thing this morning. The dressing has been off since she came home from school and the wound is starting to heal nicely. Very bruised around the kneecap but thw broken skin is healing.

I initially assumed the swelling was because the bandage was too tight but it has been off for over 12hrs and is still very swollen. Her foot is slightly less swollen but no change in the leg. The site of the injury isn't particularly swollen.

Having googled I can find swelling being a problem in bandaged pets but not bandaged children.

When do I need to worry?

.

I would worry about a blood clot.

I'd contact NHS direct asap, or call 111 and ask them, but I would do it now

Could she have twisted / sprained her ankle when she fell?

Yeah blood clot is in my mind. Ive been investigated for that myself. She has no pain anywhere (other than the area of broken skin)

But it only swelled up when I used the crepe bandage. It is going down.

It isnt her ankle that is swollen. It is her whole lower leg and foot.

Is it noticeably warm to the touch? If you press her skin, does your finger leave an indentation?

I would be concerned tbh, whereabouts do you live?

For me here in South Wales, I'd be calling our OOH Drs. Other areas might need to try 111

Nope not warm.

Just spoke to a friend of a friend that used to be an children's a&e nurse. swelling is clearly going down. It was pitting oedema this morning but barely any pitting now. There is no pinpoint pain. And apparently it is quite common for people that put bandages on themselves especially knees.

Apparently could take 48hrs to go back to normal but see a dr if it stops 'going down'.

Sounds like sensible advice. As long as the lower leg doesn't get taut and warm to touch, I wouldn't be overly worried at this stage.

She now has it elevated in bed (duh....why didn't I think of that!) And should drink lots of clear fluids to help relieve the oedema. List of tge usual stuff...hot to touch, pain, chest pain etc. To look for. Apparently quite common with knee bandages (there is a special figure of 8 way to do it appatently)

Although I didn't think there was a major visual improvement from this morning in her calf when she got me to check for pitting there wasn't any noticeable. There definitely was this morning. I can start to see the bones in her foot again now.

Will definitely keep a close eye..

Just to update her leg is now almost back to normal. I can still see a slight difference but I think that is because I kniw there is a difference iyswim

Is she allergic to the plaster dressing?
My mil swells up on contact with plasters.