Someone who knows about dressing wounds please advise!

[fromheretomaternity]

A week ago I fell and took the skin off the top of my knee. I put some wound dressing on and a plaster but it was really painful and the skin was going red, so I went to the GP who put me on antibiotics in case it was getting infected. She put some iodine-infused dressing on, covered up by a viscose netting to stop it sticking, then a Mepore plaster.

That was Tuesday. Last night I'd got worried that the dressing had been on a long time so went to change it and found the netting things had completely stuck fast to the wound. I had a bath and peeled them off, but it's reopened the wound which has since bled. I covered it with viscose netting again, then one of those second skin plasters (the only one I had that was big enough).

I'm worried now I've re-opened it and mucked up the healing. What should I do? Should I just leave completely alone until it's definitely dried up in another week or so? Should I take off the second skin plaster thing and put a Mepore one instead? (It looks quite unsightly at the moment so I'll have to do something).

Really grateful for any advice, I just want the stupid knee to heal now.

hi do you know what the viscose netting is called?

The reason I ask is, if its something called mepitel we usually put that on the wound, then the iodine gauze (to prevent the iodine gauze sticking to the wound bed) then the mepore. if your worried can you go to a practice nurse tomorrow?

Johnson & Johnson N-A knitted viscose primary dressing

You're best bet would be a hydrocolloid dressing, available from chemists. They're very good, I used them for a bad burn once and have no scar at all. They help the skin regenerate. Most dressings should be changed every 3 days.

Ah ok I would use that as a wound contact later also then the inadine then the mepore.

I would try to get to a practice nurse as without seeing wound and dressing, I dont want to offer wrong advice.

Will get myself to a pharmacist today. I'll ask about the hydrocolloid dressing, I hadn't heard of those. :(

Don't put a hydrocolloid dressing on an infected wound. It will probably make it too wet and boggy.

I would clean it gently, then try and get some Mepitel and Mepore. Mepitel on the wound (you can cut it to size) then the Mepore.

Make an appointment tomorrow to see your practice nurse.

Thanks for the advice all, it's just a skinned knee but getting me down that it won't heal, will get myself off to boots when it opens.

I'm wondering if you need something more antbioticish.Definately something the practice nurse will help with.

If it's now non-infected and simply a skinned knee which is slightly bleeding, then to be honest you might find that a bit of savlon is all you need. How big is the wound?

For me iodine very old school and no shown to kill the healing epithelial cells. Current best practice either silver or manuka honey dressings. I would apply manuka dressing and then a dry self adhesive dressing. I' m not using names as every brand calls it something different.
Disclaimer I am a vet, but we dress many, many more wounds than in human medicine so tend to use more recent technology.

We don't use manuka honey or silver as first line dressings; also honey dressings (for humans!) can increase pain and silver dressings are very expensive.

(And sorry Lonecat, have to disagree with you - as a practice nurse I assess and treat approximately 20 wounds on an average week, and hold a tissue viability diploma that is regularly updated so I do use recent technology)

I do think it's a bit premature to debate effectiveness of different dressings and how experienced people may be, when the OP hasn't explained how big or deep the wound is. A skinned knee could be the size of a 50p coin and only a surface wound for all we know

lougle of course you're right, I'm hijacking to defend my professional abilities

I still think the OP should see her nurse tomorrow