Warning - disgusting photo

[imaterriblestoopid]

Apologies for photo but need advice.

Have been battling a disgusting infected cuticle for two weeks. Tried treating myself for a week with antiseptic cream and salt baths to no avail. It continued seeping pus so was prescribed ABs 4 days ago and no idea if they've been working or not as there's still some pus and it has now grown some sort of fleshy growth with the pus coming from underneath. I feel like this growth needs to be cauterised or something and have no idea even what it is!! Everything online comes up with paronychia but this isn't just that. Should I go to minor injuries?

Go to the pharmacy for advice

Gosh yes that looks painful. I'd go to a and e. Hope it gets better soon.

Yes, minor injuries. This needs a good cleaning out and maybe opened a little for drainage. Sorry.

You'd go to A&E for that? Wow. Where's the accident? Where's the emergency?

Not a GP but I don’t think you need A&E for this!
Pop it with a sterile sewing needle and give it a good squeeze. Apply some magnesium sulphate paste from the chemist to draw out the pus, then phone your GP on Monday.
The only time I would go to A&E is if there were track marks up your wrist.

Well, the ladies in sporner corner would have been happy to weigh in on this one ages ago.

It's a little hard to tell if it's worsening without before photos, but it certainly looks painful. Minor injuries sounds like the most appropriate place to go with it.

Who prescribed ABs? Can you go back to them? Otherwise pharmacy.
Is there something in it, a splinter or something like that?

If it were your foot I'd take it to a podiatrist. I'm not sure where to take a finger! Minor injuries is a good shout.

It's fine!! Keep up with salt water bathing 3x a day and keep taking the antibiotics,they're obviously working as it's draining. Keep it dry, do you have any lint free dressing,the sort you use for burns?

Cannot believe someone suggested A and E or even urgent care, does no one deal with minor stuff themselves these days?!

Post in Sporners Corner ,they'll tell you it's fine.

Magnesium sulphate helped initially and then worsened it, was almost burned and bleeding. It's yellowy but honestly the pus isn't what's filled the growth out, it's like...fleshy? And pus coming from underneath? So bizarre! I'm glad minor injuries is the general consensus, sounds like I'm being ott about an ouchy finger but I haven't even been able to change my baby with weeping in agony if it's knocked!!

A GP on the phone from 111 - pharmacy told me to contact GP and my doctors closed due to being overwhelmed!! No one's actually seen it which is why I'm concerned

Soak it on salt water, keep it covered and dry NOT with a plaster, keep taking antibiotics take pain killers , see GP or pharmacist on Monday if it looks worse.

The other reason I would go and get it opened up, washed out etc at Minor Injuries, is that they would likely take a swab which will tell you what antibiotics are actually needed rather than the blind guess you have now. There's the possibility that it isn't bacterial at all, herpes (cold sore virus) can do this too...

Well rang minor injuries and they won't see me so referred me to online 111 for a callback. I need someone to look at it! The actual bone is throbbing with pain now 😩

And if it turns worse without treatment and the OP gets sepsis as a result?

Ive had an infected nail bed before. The pain comes from pus tracking under the nail. You’ll probably find it starts to come loose at the base and you’ll .lose the nail but it grows back eventually.
If you’ve already tried mag sulphate, I’d soak it a couple of times a day in sterile saline. Dilution is the solution to the pollution and all that.

A and E if you have an actual fever or track marks but not otherwise.

@pinneddownbytabbies that's why you seek appropriate treatment. You don't go to A&E for something that minor.

I'd be bathing that in warm water with Dettol rather than saline.

I would just pitch up at minor injuries myself. They’ll see you if you’re there and probably drain it.

Just keep an eye the red hot bit isn’t spreading, if it does then that’s the point A and E would be justified.

It will probably slowly clear up, so if you don’t want to be hanging around wait till tomorrow.

@girlmom21 it's infected

Yes and she just needs more antibiotics - not a hospital

Wound care professional here. I agree it's infected and would likely benefit from further antibiotics. If you were my patient I would take a swab so we can be sure you are being given the correct antibiotics. Without that we operate a 'best guess' policy.

Do not go to a&e if it's in that state currently. I would suggest that only if you feel you have sepsis red flags.

Agree

Ooh looks painful. It needs draining of pus so that the antibiotics can work effectively, antibiotics can’t remove the pus it stops the pus from forming. The fleshy growth is likely to be overgranulation where the skin is growing over the wound.
soak the finger in cool boiled salty water clean up as much of the pus as you can then use a clean needle to separate the cuticle edge from the nail. The aim is to create space for the pus to come out rather than cut or make a further wound. The overgranulation might need a review by a practice nurse who might apply silver nitrate to remove.
if the redness starts spreading down your finger you’ll need to get it seen. if it’s not getting better you might need a swab and different antibiotics.