Steristrips

[BertieBotts]

DS cut his face quite badly on Friday and had steristrips at hospital to keep it together.

Because of the placement of them, every time he cries, eats or has a runny nose (he's 3 so all happen several times a day) they are getting rubbed, and one end looks like it's coming off a bit, in fact I can see the edge of the cut under it. They need to stay on until Wednesday, so I'm guessing he needs them redoing - what do I do? Can I phone the hospital for advice? It's going to be really difficult to get there today but I could take him to the nurse at the doctor's tomorrow.

Do you have any micropore tape ? Then you can just do a big line of tape over the ends of the steristrips to hold them down

Ah, no I don't, but could get some. But they won't be holding the wound together then, will they? I'm a bit worried that they are already filthy as well. But maybe that's expected with a small child.

Would NHS Direct know?

you could phone NHS direct and see what they say about it.
If the steristrips are still holding the wound together, then the micropore will just keep them in place; if they are flapping loose then no, they won't be.
I have used micropore in place of steristrips before - so if you get some, you could just use a thin strip of micropore across the loose steristrip (unless it's filthy underneath as well) and use it to hold the steristrip in place holding the wound closed, iyswim.

You can buy steri strips at the chemist, - if you want to re do it yourself. But if you are worried because it is on his face, I would take him to the practice nurse at your GP's tomorrow, - I've had fairly complicated wounds re-dressed at GP's, so I'm sure they'd be able to do it for you.

Sorry your little lad had an accident though, - if it's any comfort, my DD fell on concrete and cut her chin open badly when she was little, - now she's grown up, and you really can't see the scar unless you look very hard.

Okay, I think I'll go for micropore today and GPs tomorrow, that sounds like a good plan. Thanks :)

Kurri he cut his face on a glass, fell on it and it smashed :( I feel awful about it because I've seen that exact thing happen before (to a drunk adult, not a child) and I was always nervous about those particular glasses because the glass is very thin and they are tall. So I've always been careful about where they are placed but not this time. It was in a stupid place too, right next to my chair.