Is this cellulitis? Or infected pulled hair. TMI image

[NippyCrab]

Is this cellulitis, skin is warm and feels lumpy inside, no sign of a boil or any entry wound for bacteria, could be a pulled hair follicle that's infected?
Person has been to a pharmacy and been given antibiotics, it wasn't examined. They were supposed to take 4 yesterday, took 2. And before I looked at this today it was 3pm and they hadn't taken any. So I've given one at 3 and another one now. I've also drawn a circle around the redness. I have put magnesium sulphate over it with a dressing in case it was a spot/boil under the skin.

Amazing to hear he's got the vac pack, that means he's had the proper surgery!! Which means it's done, Which should reduced the chance of this ever coming back. The surgeons tend to switch over at 8am and rounds around 10/11 depends where he's at however. They just need to do what you said and make sure the infection has gone. It's such a common thing to get yet I never head of it. Gosh he's so lucky he got there when he did, good job he's got you. This could have ended up so much worse. So relvied for you both, hopefully the MRI comes back clear and then it's all about recovery now xx

I'll definitely not be happy until the rounds have been done, I'm going up once the lunch is over so around 1pm. I know I am being irrational worrying as much but seeing what happened to Mum in the hospital I just want to know every detail and he's not the best at asking questions and relaying information to say the very least!
You all have been fantastic thank you so much.

Any time. Any questions please ask, even k get chance I'll link to the FB groups that's help so much with tips and recovery advice xx

@fairymary87 that would be amazing when you get time to send the FB group, he's home now xx

www.facebook.com/share/PKeAaEu6SE8Zjorv/?mibextid=K35XfP

www.facebook.com/share/zcZJJxnDmCKWt9e4/?mibextid=K35XfP

How's he getting on now x

Thank you, its at the worst bit for dressings! The nurse couldn't get anything to stick yesterday, managed eventually and when she left I got some micropore and secured it. He's got another week of daily visits, sees the GP on Monday so will see what he says. There is a lot of discharge coming out of it, no smell at all, yep I'm smelling the dressings lol. He's got no pain, tired, still on antibiotics until tomorrow. I am worried about further infection and a fistula. I think it needs to be aired a bit tbh, with the packing in obvs. Yesterday there was some hardness again but she said no it's okay but she listened to my concerns and will check again today. Xx

If you're having daily dressings that's ok. They may be some granulated tissues too. All this sounds perfectly normal, and yeah it smells sadly! I hope you're both doing ok, it's very demoralising at times. I used to say I'm feeling like a bear being stuffed up at build a bear!!! No pains is great. Pain is good and tells you what you need help, so not having that is amazing news! This stage feels like forever but it passes promise xx

Gosh, poor fella that sounds grim 😢 well done you for getting him to a&e and seen. He is lucky to have you! Wishing a speedy recovery 🙏

Hey and thank you so much for the support. It's 3.8cm today which is a huge difference, he says it feels okay, wound is clean and no pain. We have the practice nurse and GP after that tomorrow so we will see what the GP says re healing and work. He had a right down moment after the nurse went away, he expected it to have been smaller! I said that it's healed remarkably well for 7 days considering they said it was about 3 inches deep ffs!
He's fed up, he's used to working away, he's enjoying being here though. It's put a lot of things into perspective for both of us. We weren't in such a good place for a while, I had a post on and do feel guilty about moaning.

Please don’t air the wound. The latest research shows that wounds that are healing by secondary intention ( when they are left open and heal from the sides inwards) need to be kept moist either with packing or vacu packed. If they dry out and scab over it slows down the healing and also you risk the edges fusing early creating voids in which infection can develop.
I had a PNS operated on 40 yrs ago. It was dressed daily with gauze and vasolene ( before all the fancy modern dressings) it took 6weeks to fill in fully but as a result has never recurred or given me any problems. I was left with a very thin scar line that is barely noticeable.

As an HCP I see lots of post op problems and infections, it is almost always due to patients not following instructions.
I had major breast surgery ( breast cancer) with a text book recovery, I was discussing my recovery with my sister, also an HCP, and how I’d been really worried about infection since so many women seem to develop infection, she said is was probably down to me following the instructions because I know how important they are.

@Angrymum22 we definitely won't air it, thank you so much for that advice. It's getting packed daily and on Friday they will decide if its to be still daily or every second day. If he is a manual worker on a building site away from home would you advise he stays at home and off until it closes over? X

That’s something to discuss with his GP who will hopefully sign him off. I didn’t work until it had healed over but, as a dentist, I work in an environment where infection could be a problem. But as a manual worker, particularly in this heat working outdoors on construction sites it’s probably a similarly risky environment.
I don’t think I could sit down comfortably for at least four weeks, and walking and standing for any length of time was not easy.
My DS’s best friend had the same op done this time last year and he was out of action for a month ish.

I work in wound care. Def don't let it air dry. Wounds need some moisture to aid healing. Depending on the exudate levels (oozing) the longer you can leave the dressing in place the better. Also making sure the wound bed and edge is cleansed appropriately at every dressing change and the area is kept clean.

Thank you lovely ladies, it's at 3cm today from 3.8cm on Sunday so he's resigned it will be another 2 to 3 weeks anyway. @Angrymum22 he's exactly as you've experienced with standing, walking and sitting. He's tired too which is unlike him.
@Whitegrenache he's having it packed and dressed daily at the surgery at the moment, the weekend will be the district nurses and they said they will decide if its to be still changed daily or every second day starting week 3.
I really appreciate all the replies, it's helping a lot. X

Hello, I thought I would leave a wee update on the patient. The wound is at 1/2 a cm now, so pleased, he's getting a small amount of packing every second day and the nurse said after that this week they will use the packing to just fo over the wound and stick a dressing plaster on that. He's off all this week, timed it nice with my birthday 🎂 I really don't want him to go back after this week 😞
Another week off would give me peace of mind.