poisoned foot

[Gill]

hi, my small son got a thorn in the soul of his foot which looks sore and red it also looks to have a head on it.he has walked on it all day without complaint but now it is sore.i have tried a bread poultice on it which seems to have opened it up and some fluid came out but could not get the thorn/skelf.does any of you good people have any ideas how to treat this before we take him to the docs,this is something that you could easily understand putting yourself in situation out camping or hikeing.

 

[geoff88]

Take him to the doctors. I had a mother who believed in things like bread poultice over real medicine and my childhood was terrible.

Geoff

 

[Longstrider]

I once had a blackthorn deep in my wrist that I ended up at the hospital because of (my hand swelled up like a melon!). As it was buried between the veins and tendons in the face of my wrist they did not fancy trying to dig it out so put a Magnesium Poultice on it under a dressing as well as giving me a tetanus booster and (I think) antibiotics. Within a couple of days the thorn had been drawn to the surafce and had actually been ejected from the wound by the body and was loose in the dressing. It still took a couple more days for the hand to resume to it's normal size, but that poultice certainly seemed to be the business when it came to dealing with the problem. Perhaps you could find something similar at your local dispensing chemists and give that a try ?

I realise that I'm probably teaching my granny to suck eggs here but... Keep a good eye on the ankle and lower leg for any "track marks" along the veins. Any deepening of colour there will be an indication of blood poisoning and should be referred to the doctor/hospital immediately .
I had this once from a burst blister on my hand and it felt like someone had dropped a glowing coal in my hand. By late that eveing the pain was ridiculous so I dragged my sorry backside down to my local A+E where they found that the infection was well set in already. I had track marks up my arm. I was told that had I left it until morning to get medical help they would have had to admit me!

Best of luck sorting the little fella out.

 

[spamel]

I heard somewhere about putting hot water in a milk bottle and then pressing the end into the wound area so that the thorn is in the centre of the bottle opening. The hot water makes the air go out of the bottle and then sealing up the bottle end creates a depression/vacuum; the heat helps work loose the thorn and the suction gets the thorn out.

I have never tried this method myself but it sounds plausible (Cor, that sounds so Mythbusters!) and I would be careful if you do try it, if it goes wrong he may end up with a scalded foot to boot!!

 

[demographic]

I once had a blackthorn deep in my wrist that I ended up at the hospital because of (my hand swelled up like a melon!). As it was buried between the veins and tendons in the face of my wrist they did not fancy trying to dig it out so put a Magnesium Poultice on it under a dressing as well as giving me a tetanus booster and (I think) antibiotics. Within a couple of days the thorn had been drawn to the surafce and had actually been ejected from the wound by the body and was loose in the dressing. It still took a couple more days for the hand to resume to it's normal size, but that poultice certainly seemed to be the business when it came to dealing with the problem. Perhaps you could find something similar at your local dispensing chemists and give that a try ?

I realise that I'm probably teaching my granny to suck eggs here but... Keep a good eye on the ankle and lower leg for any "track marks" along the veins. Any deepening of colour there will be an indication of blood poisoning and should be referred to the doctor/hospital immediately .
I had this once from a burst blister on my hand and it felt like someone had dropped a glowing coal in my hand. By late that eveing the pain was ridiculous so I dragged my sorry backside down to my local A+E where they found that the infection was well set in already. I had track marks up my arm. I was told that had I left it until morning to get medical help they would have had to admit me!

Best of luck sorting the little fella out.

For some reason Blackthorn is known as being a bad one for causing the wounds to go septic.

 

[Toddy]

Best advice if you can't get the thorn out easily, or the foot is looking inflamed, is take the child to a doctor or at least to the local chemist.
Magsulph paste is the usual drawing out *poultice* for this sort of thing, but infections in the sole of the foot are notoriously hard to heal; the skin heals over fast and sort of traps the problem.
Spamel's idea sounds interesting, it's known as cupping when it's used to increase the blood flow to an area.
Soaking the foot in warm salty water is likely to help both draw the thorn and help with infection. An old wives tip was to add an aspirin to the water, but how that works with the best practice advice for child nowadays, I don't know.
Hope it clears up soon,
atb,
Mary

 

[Culicoidis]

Natural remidies have their place, but septicaemia is a killer. A trip to your local GP or A&E at worst gives you a course of antibiotics at least tells you to soak it in warm salty water. Poultices etc work very well but antibiotics save lives.

 

[Tadpole]

Natural remidies have their place, but septicaemia is a killer. A trip to your local GP or A&E at worst gives you a course of antibiotics at least tells you to soak it in warm salty water. Poultices etc work very well but antibiotics save lives.

The problem with going to your local with a thorn or a cut is GP, well most of them any way, are harassed and overworked, and sad to say some of them just opt for the “prescription= quickfix” and a method of keeping up with meeting the current government targets.
We live in a country where over prescription of medication is a curse. I have been to the doctors with a heavy cold, but wanting to see the doctor about something entirely different, and my (now ex) doctor has prescribed antibiotics, for my “flu”. When questioned he justified his action by claiming that most people would be more than happy to take antibiotics.
As a people we are getting to the point where there is no point using the once commonly used antibiotics as they no longer work, the bacteria are resistant to them, over prescription and failing to take the whole course is leading to resistance to some of the newer drugs as well

Yes if you have the symptoms of blood poisoning then forget the doctors and go to the A&E, but unless you are run down or of weak constitution, then a poultice and keeping the wound site clean will be more than enough, covering the wound will reduce the risk of infection, even it it’s just a simple vinegar and Epsons salt poultice, or my mothers favourite standby, green soap and white sugar.

The signs to look out for with blood poisoning are sudden onset of:
fever,
chills and shivering,
rapid breathing and headache,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. if you have any of them then go to the hospital, do not pass go, do not stop to collect anything.

I was part of a land clearance and re-use project in the early eighty’s and despite all the protective clothes issued, I was getting “hooked up” with thorns almost weekly. I never needed the services of a doctor. And most of the thorns either worked themselves out, or were drawn out with a sugar and soap poultice

Usual disclaimers, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

 

[Gill]

thanks for all the advice people.my wife phoned the doctor last nite and was advised to take him out just to be sure,so he got a course of antibiotics and a magnesium sulphate poultice,which has not been used yet!but kids being kids he,s away out playing this morning ,running about ! and does not seem to be bothered just now anyway.god knows how he can put his weight on it without limping ,it is right on the ball of his foot and i,m quite sure if i had it it would be agony.maybe that,s just me though!

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

If your area has a local "walk in center" they will be able to deal with it quite quick