**pic warning** verruca infected?

[FancyFingers]

Ds (6) has had a verruca for a couple of months. Despite treatment from the pharmacy, using various products it's now looking infected.

He cannot put any weight on his foot so is hobbling on his heel. I've tried the corn/verruca circle pads, but nothing is comfortable.

We saw a dr yesterday who prescribed the same gel as the bazuka brand. We've used this before.

What should I do? His foot after school today looked worse and I can see pus under the skin.

I called the surgery befor they closed and they've offered an appt with a nurse. I'm wondering what they'd be able to do (if anything?)

Does anyone have experience/advice?

[Marshmalloww]

It is getting worse and must be very painful.
Tea tree oil WILL get rid of any verruca, but I agree it also needs to be drawn and needs GP to see it. Could become even worse and there is a constant danger of blood poisoning, which can be dangerous quickly. Will need antibiotic.s

[Marshmalloww]

Needs doctor not nurse or phone call.

[Elmersnewfriend]

Re the antibiotics - would he take tablets do you think? My DS (9) had a similarly horrible infection on his ear a couple of months ago and the GP who prescribes the (same) antibiotic said it is notoriously disgusting as an oral version.

It looks so sore, poor little chap - hope he gets it sorted soon.

[HerculesMulligan]

I had a verucca infected like that in my early 20s and it was extraordinarily painful. He needs A&E for it to be lanced. Poor boy.

[RedBugMug]

agree with others, if ds can't take the oral solution ask the dr or pharmacist for a different form.
my dc when 2 year old then got capsules that we broke open and mixed with nutella. it was either that or drip at hospital for pneumonia in our case.

[FancyFingers]

Stupid o'clock update and posting as I'm so nervous.

I had ds in bed with me tonight and he was very restless. I've checked his foot at 1 am and to give him calpol, and try him again with the antibiotic (which he gagged on and majority spat up) and its very angry looking. And I'm sure I can see a red track developing that's beginning to travel down his foot and sideways.

So I've called 111 (again!!!! They told me at 7 pm last night) that he'd be seen by a dr in the morning. But called again as he is in agony, unable to sleep and the red line, so I'm now waiting for a call to take him to ooh.

So I'm rattled with anxiety, but keeping calm and cheery for ds and waiting to drive him wherever they tell me to.

Wondering how long to wait for a call, they said within 6 hours.

[FancyFingers]

Can you see what I mean?

[3boys3dogshelp]

I would just bundle him up and take him to a and e. My ds had a red line tracking up from a much less nasty wound on his arm - he had a very mild fever but felt fine, it wasn't even sore - he ended up in hospital for 36 hours on iv antibiotics. The line tracked quite quickly once it got started. Please don't wait 6 hours, whatever they tell you over the phone he needs to see a dr anyway.

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

That looks awful!

Draw a line to edge the redness so you can monitor if it spreads. Only if your ds can tolerate it, poor thing.

I would say given he can't keep down the antibiotics and it's clearly worsening, that he needs seeing by a Dr tonight, be that out of hours or A&E.

[Spybot]

Hello. I'm up as I'm in the States.
I would take him into Emergency first thing in morning. He needs antibiotics he can keep down, maybe through IV, and the wound needs to be lanced and drained. My boy came down with this in his finger last year, it came up overnight from nothing. It was staph. The striation on your son's foot is symptomatic of a staph infection. Only a few hours to morning, then get him In.

[Spybot]

Seeing the other posts, I think taking him now might be a better idea.

[FancyFingers]

Am I imagining a line? Either way I want him sorting asap.

I have health anxiety and in a panic.

[stealtheatingtunnocks]

I can see a line. That's got significantly worse and he can't tolerate the antibiotics. He's up with pain now? That's not fair, he needs that treating.

I don't have health anxiety, and I'm not in a panic - and I'd definitely take him to A+E with that if OOH said several hours and he's in so much pain he can't sleep.

[Mamimawr]

I would take him to A&E. Is the rest of the foot hot to touch? If he isn'the able to take the antibiotics orally he needs an IV. The infection seems to be getting worse. Poor boy.

[Smitff]

I'm not medically qualified but given the photos and your anxiety (assuming you're his main/sole career?), I would take him down to a&e. Personally I would wait until daylight, but if you're very anxious there's no harm in now. Nothing to be gained from waiting around. It won't heal itself magically and it doesn't sound as though the antibiotics are actually going in. He may well need a drip as well as lancing/removal.

[stealtheatingtunnocks]

Give 111 a call to let them know if you go up to A+E - otherwise they'll still have you on the call list and waken the house up.

[Aliveinwanderland]

I can see the line. Bundle him up and take him to A&E. I had an infected wound on my foot as a child that turned into septicaemia after it wasn't treated quickly.

[nocoolnamesleft]

Whilst it's not brilliantly easy to tell on photos, I think there's a red line starting to track up. Think there's a fairly high chance he needs IV ABs tonight. Especially as he's getting worse having started orals.

[toopeoply]

I'd draw a line round the red bit to see if it's spreading. If your ds is sleeping I'd wait till morn then go into your gp if you think they will actually do something, if not, just a and E. Hope you and him are ok

[intergalacticbrexitdisco]

This has to be treated as a matter of urgency. Sepsis can kill.

[Lofari]

Take him to a+e. That needs sorting asap

[unlucky83]

Another saying take him to A&E or OOH that looks really nasty (and honestly I would have lanced it myself by now ...give the ABs a head start...) - poor thing - hope it goes well and he is feeling better soon.
But for future ref my DD2 could never keep antibiotic liquid down - would projectile vomit it - she needed them first as a tiny baby - we went through several and lots of mixing with orange juice etc etc before we did eventually find one that we could get her to keep at least some of it down - I can't remember what it was called but it wasn't considered an 'ideal' one - I think it wasn't broad spectrum. When she needed them again at around 2 had the same problem with the first lot - so just went straight on to the kind she could take before. Then when she was about 6 - nearly 7 I guess she needed them again and we asked for tablets. They were reluctant to give them to her - said children are better with liquid and they chew tablets etc . But I insisted - they were capsule type, quite small and she was fine. She hasn't needed them since but I would push for tablets in future... and I would for your son - at least see if he can manage them
(if you taste liquid ABs they are vile - really bitter - so I am not surprised some children can't keep them down...)

[Punksparkle]

I am a podiatrist. The VP is infected and needs sharp debridement which only a podiatrist can undertake. You need to bathe the floor in salt water, it looks like there has been a reaction to the sal acid that you have used. Please do not apply any more to the area and do not use again. The poster who referred to my profession as 'chiropodist ' is quite incorrect. We now term ourselves as podiatrist and many of us are independent prescribers. Anyway, yes we would see your son, it needs our professional input. You need to see a podiatrist as a matter of urgency, make sure that you see an HCPC registered practitioner, go to the Society of Podiatrists to find practitioners in your area
www.scpod.org/
You may need antibiotics but debridement of the area and sterile dressing and padding may be enough. Podiatrist as a priority please, this is our area of high expertise. I hope your son is soon on the mend.

[FancyFingers]

Thank you so much for all the advice and support (especially the warnings from BoreOfWhabalon) - we have been home 45 mins from an empty a&e.

They were bloody fantastic. Ds had his foot completely cut out, they called it debridement. The dr said the wound was tracking, and we caught it in the nick of time. He has taken a strong antibiotic which he says tasted ok. And has a huge dressing/bandage on the massive hole on his foot. The nurse who treated him said it was very deep and nasty.

Ds had no pain relief or local anaesthetic. He was so scared when they said they'd need to cut it away that he wet himself. But he he didn't cry or flinch, he just had me in a headlock and squeezed my hands when it got a bit much.

They've swabbed the infection for the lab, and he is now booked in at the wound clinic next week.

He is surprisingly full of beans, and not tired. Dh has been beside himself whilst we were gone as he googled infections. But my other dc haven't a clue what has gone on, so at least a couple of us have slept.

Once again the biggest thanks to everyone.

[TheWitchwithNoName]

Fancy, this was the first thread a checked this morning. So so pleased to hear he is on the mend