Opinions on DH's bite please?

[Scribblegirl]

DH was fine this morning but had an itchy ankle this morning. By lunchtime it had grown to this and he's having a hard time walking on it. He says he feels well in himself (other than the difficulty walking) so I've promised him we can skip the walk in clinic tonight (although of course I may renege if it gets worse!).

Any thoughts? We've got germolene and a plaster on the bite at the moment - it's the swelling that's worrying me.

Ps. DH says please excuse his disgusting feet.

Give him an antihistamine (over counter piraton or similar)

That doesn't look good. Clinic in the morning at the very least. And then a rasp footfile when it's cleared up

That needs looking at today

And he should be apologising to you, not us, for his feet!

All my gnat bites go like this! Has he taken any piriton? Definitely keep an eye on it (draw around edges with a biro). It may turn into cellulitis/need antibiotics.

Did he see what bit him?

He needs seeing tonight. The infection is spreading too quickly and could develop into cellulitis.

Antihistamine tablets orally, and some hydrocortisone cream directly on the bite. I get horrible swelling from Horsefly bites, and can feel really horrid for 2-3 days after. Doctors will prescribe the same; only if it gets really hot and oozing yellow gunge will they give antibiotics. You could always get the practice nurse to check? But nothing urgent.

That bite looks like it's got infected and he has cellulitis. I'd go to the out of hours. I had a bite like that a few years ago and ended up on IV antibiotics and hospitalised as it tracked up my leg. After what I went through I wouldn't risk not going to the out of hours again, I was on oral antibiotics for weeks when I came out of hospital.

It wouldn't worry me because i always swell with bites. Does he usually react?

Anti histamine, absolutely do not scratch/rub/touch in any way and a cool cloth over it regularly redampened. If he's determined to stay away from the hobble walk in clinic.

Mine go like this, for some reason I react overly. The best possible advice on any bite if you react is hands off

That looks like cellulitis and needs to be looked at asap. Go to the walk in clinic.

If this was me, it would be fine because I get huge reactions to insect bites.

If it was DH, it would be cellulitus.

If there's no previous history of massive allergies, then I'm afraid you have to get it looked at tonight.

Draw round the red area with a pen, if it continues to spead then it could be cellulitus. Get an appointment asap.

I would use a bit to draw round the outline of the red so you can see how far it has spread, gone down, got worse in what time etc

Ooh x posts!

Draw around it with a biro. Give him Piriton liquid as it works faster than tablets and if it's showing no signs of improvement go to see someone tomorrow.

Or go to a late pharmacy and take their advice.

If he starts to feel unwell - temperature etc or if red lines start tracking away from the area, go to a and e.

I'm not a medically qualified person but I've had experience of having cellulitis.

Another vote for potential cellulitis here. That needs looking at tonight, I think.

is it warm to the touch?
I had to make a similar call with dhs bite last night. It wasn't sore to walk on (on shin) but had developed burn like blisters. It wasn't warm so I drew a ring around it, covered it in antihistamine cream, with a dressing over the top to stop him scratching and bursting the blisters and gave him an antihistamine tablet. It had calmed down a lot this morning, thank goodness.

The difference for your dh is the pain, I'd be worried.

I'd go go OOH with that I think OP, hope he's on the mend soon

Thanks all. He's usually a bit of a reaction-y one so I'm not worrying too much but thanks for the heads up, I've found a pack of anti-histamines from when my sister was last staying (still in date of course!) so I've dosed him up. If it was on me (ox like consitution!) then I think he'd be worried but since he's a sensitive soul I'm going to do watch and wait.

Have also attacked him with a biro much to his dismay so will keep my eyes peeled for any growth in the infection - we're night owls so up for a couple more hours. Will be taking him to OOH if anything happens between now and 12 or after we wake about 6.30am.

Thanks all for the advice, given me a couple of good plans which for some reason you always forget when it's your family member!!

Oh and in answer to questions:

• not warm to touch - he says it feels like a light sprain rather than feeling 'ill' as it were
• no temperature
• I tried to make him use my footner last summer, it's not for want of trying

Update: it hasn't got any bigger but he's finding it even harder to weight bear so I've just packed the poor dear off for what will inevitably be a very long wait at the walk in centre. Still feels well so I'm hoping it's nothing to sinister but better to check.

That's not true about it needing to be hot and oozing for antibiotics btw. I had a very odd and unexplained reaction to bites two years ago and it needed antibiotics to clear without either of those - lots of itching and redness though, they tested me for like disease actually as well in the end. They never actually identified what it was (the bites happened in Italy) but I'd seen a pharmacist, had antihistamine tablets creams etc before I went to the GP.

You've done the right thing sending him off he can't put weight on it.

Walk-in packed him off to A&E as they weren't sure (thankfully on the same site) and A&E doc has confirmed cellulitis and told him he did the right thing going in. A week of drugs and instructions to keep it rested and elevated (so looks like I'll be running a maid service for the next few days )

Thanks all for the advice, it kept me nagging him to go when I might otherwise have given up

Oh wow, good job he decided to go. Feel better soon Mr OP