Wound Infection

[spindrift]

I have a friend who, 9 days ago, underwent traumatic exploratory surgery. I nursed him last Wednesday, looked at the 12inch wound (it seemed like butchery to me) and noticed a reddish patch developing. I warned him of infection. Right enough he phoned me this morning saying that today the infection is well established and there is a large collection of pus in the area.
now I'm worried about him getting blood poisoning. Can this happen?

(he had no dressing on this enormous wound and was lying , with 3 dogs, in his bed)....

Should he be admitted to hospital again?

[Deleted]

He needs to get the wound dressed professionally and looked at by a doctor, but you know that already. Infections are getting nastier and nastier due to overuse of antibiotics.

[bixaorellana]

He needs to do something about it NOW -- heck, several days ago.

Hospitals are breeding grounds for all kinds of infections. You can come out sicker than you went in.

[lagatta]

Your friend can die from that. He won't necessarily have to be hospitalised, but he needs medical attention right away.

[spindrift]

He phoned me today to say that a doctor called to his house and has put him on two courses of antibiotics, one to follow the other. He started taking them 2 days ago. Apparently the huge pustule burst last night which is a good thing. I told him that he should have been put on antibiotics after surgery as a matter of course. He wasn't. This smacks of negligence.
The doctor put a 'rough' dressing on the wound (for the moment) and has told my friend to visit his surgery on Monday for the nurses to clean out the area 'properly'. My friend has difficulty lifting his head from the pillow; how can he visit the surgery?
I find this unbelievable and I am very upset about it. I also find it strange that my friend, who is the most intelligent of men, is not worried about his situation and tells me blithely that he'll be all right.
Most of all I'm horrified that his wife, who is a sluttish person, has not put him in a clean nightshirt and clean bedding. When I tried to change the bedding he would not let me. He is well used to enduring less than clean surroundings.

There is nothing more I can do but hope for the best.

[Deleted]

At the end of my father's life, he had an enormous wound on his leg, caused by my mother kicking him in an Alzheimer rage. On several trips (I went to Florida almost every month at the end), I took over cleaning the pus and changing the bandage every day. It was disgusting and nauseated me, but he was so happy that I could do it because my mother was incapable of it. When he died, there was still that big hole in his leg.

[lagatta]

spindrift, your friend will have to visit the surgery somehow; can any friends take him there?

I also think it is very strange that he didn't get a shot of antibiotics, even before an oral course, after surgery, but I'm no surgeon.

Is your friend depressed - in general? He is certainly putting up with an unacceptable home situation. (I'm more worried about the wife than the dogs).

Once again not a surgeon, but I think it is probably lucky that he developed such a pustule and it burst, as that would tend to localise the infection.

I'd tend to think that he should be in hospital, but sadly so many people develop serious secondary infections and medical conditions in hospitals.

[spindrift]

Kerouac - that's a very sad story. In fact it couldn't be sadder

Lagatta....he has a wife to take him to the surgery and yes, he can be very depressed considering that he suffers from bi-polar disorder. He does not appear to be depressed at the moment, probably because I hove(d) into view....? (I don't know if one can say this)....

Anyway, yes, you are right to be worried about the wife. She has a lot to 'get even' with.

It is terrible to see him helpless, wounded and confined to bed and completely in the control of others.

I might have to demand to be let in on Monday. I won't make a scene on Sunday due to his grown up children being there (perhaps).

Oh yes, I forgot to say that he told me the doctor was worried about him having caught MSRA in hospital. Perhaps I won't go to visit him...is it catching?

[Deleted]

If you can get him back into hospital, that would probably be the best considering the surroundings. (And then I think of so many thousands of other people in similar conditions -- impossible to save the world!)

[spindrift]

Yes, but he was my soul-mate

[bixaorellana]

Geeeez ~~ I googled that: www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/ds00735

Spindrift, what if you phone one of his children under the pretense of asking about your friend, then mention about the possibility of the staph infection? Maybe the kids don't realize the full situation and could be instrumental in getting more and better care for their father.

[spindrift]

I shall have to phone his wife. She is now a friend of mine. He must be in a great amount of pain. He is only taking paracetamol which isn't strong enough. He is afraid to start down the morphine route.

[lagatta]

Well, if he is afraid of opiates (there are also codeine-based opiates between paracetamol and morphine) the key problem is the original infection, if he is bearing up under tha pain.

Glad to hear about the wife. She sounds very problematic.

[spindrift]

Thank you for your concern, Lagatta.

[auntieannie]

The surgery should be able to provide service at the patient's home if the patient is unable to get out of bed! I know it can take some time to arrange, but it should have already been discussed.

I am sometimes appalled at the health system in England, but must remember it does a great job with not much at all.