Infected Finger - Lancing?

[944fan]

On Saturday I woke up with a spot on my little finger. By Sunday it clearly looked infected. I phoned 111 and they said it was fine to wait till Monday and see my GP. I saw the GP first thing and they gave me 500mg Flucloxacillin. These seem to have stopped it spreading any further but the main site is still very swollen and hurts like hell (little finger is now the same size as my thumb).

Do I just leave it and wait for the antibiotics to do their thing or should I go back to the GP or even to urgent care walk in and get it lanced and drained?

Obviously all the tts at work are encouraging me to do it myself but given that it already has an infection I'm not too keen on that idea.

[5potTurbo]

I'd get the nurse at your GP to do it, or go to A&E and have it lanced

[944fan]

Yeah I will see if I can get to the nurse to do it. Don't really want to sit around for 4 hours in A&E among the morons with pots on their heads.

[5potTurbo]

[GT03ROB]

Poof!

Needle, match to sterilize, stick it in, job done, no waiting.

[maturin23]

Home surgery is always much more fun!

I came up with a technique for home-lancing an infected finger - I cut of a length of drinking straw about 5mm shorter than the (sterilised) needle I used - put the needle inside the straw, give it a good tap and you know it'll go in the right depth...

Please don't post any photos though!

[944fan]

GT03ROB said:

Poof!

Needle, match to sterilize, stick it in, job done, no waiting.

Was that "poof" as in a sound effect of how easy it is to do yourself or are you calling me a poof? :-)

If I do it, I will post photos.

[5potTurbo]

Post pics anyway!

Show us the finger, well, your swollen puss-filled finger, not the "bird"!

[944fan]

'ere you are

[5potTurbo]

Oof!


Yep, that's gotta be lanced and emptied.


Is it worthwhile marking where the redness ends on your hand, to make sure it's not getting worse?

[Digger]

Nice 'n ripe is that. Stick a sharp needle under running hot water, then give it a poke and a squeeze!

[ziggy328]

[Taita]

Digger said:

Nice 'n ripe is that. Stick a sharp needle under running hot water, then give it a poke and a squeeze!

Agree - it is fulfilling!

[danpalmer1993]

That looks like it's going to feel good to pop!

[sparkythecat]

Ranulph Fiennes would have had that off before now.

[Zoon]

After photo needs posting once done.

I'm surprised that's not burst on it's own.

[dudleybloke]

Pop it!

[944fan]

Zoon said:

After photo needs posting once done.

I'm surprised that's not burst on it's own.

Yeah, its very tight when I bend my finger. Long soak in some warm water and a quick clench might burst it open.

[jimmyjimjim]

Bookmarked for 'after' pictures.

Bucket at the ready.

[Dr Murdoch]

944fan said:

'ere you are

I would not waste time going A&E or Docs, that thing only needs to see a needle out of the corner of its eye and it'll pop.

Stop being a jessie and get on with it.