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[nenjin]

I made an appointment with my GP just to check it over, see if he thinks another round of antibiotics is called for.

I'd also add that, when you have a scab for that long, one of the problems you run in to is dryness. It got to the point the scab and wound in general was getting so dry and so tight it was in some ways more painful than when I had it stitched together. The occasional soak and letting it get wet in the shower did help alleviate some of that, as well as loosen up the material a little. Casual reading online says that exposing the wound under a long standing scab can improve healing times, actually. But it does open you up to infection more easily.

This has been your daily dose of eeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[wierd]

Just betadine it again, re-wrap in loose gauze, and LEAVE IT ALONE. >: [

[nenjin]

Betadine? Ah, I see.

There was a spot of jellied blood where the scab was still attached, so I've put a bandaid over that. Have my doctors appointment in the morning and it's all on workman's comp so, I think I should be good to go.

[wierd]

Betadine.  Also known as providone-iodine.  It is orange-red/brown, stains skin and clothing, and is a potent dry wound care product. It has potent antimicrobial properties even after drying. It works great on dry-type wound care. Since you have made an appointment with your GP, ask about topical betadine and get a recommendation.

He will tell you to leave your scab alone, but will probably agree about topical betadine. He will probably swab it for you right there. The swabs your GP has are more concentrated than you can get OTC.

[nenjin]

The scab is gone. Now it's a question of what if anything needs be done about the unhealed spot under there. (To be honest, other than the layers of dried skin under the rest of the wound, I'm sort of impressed how well the rest of it healed.) I'll ask about the bentadine but it sounds like pretty potent stuff.

[wierd]

We use it on some skin-tears in the nursing home I work at. Also use it for topical disinfection of the area prior to catheter insertion.

A new scab will form because you removed the scab before it could fully heal. The new scab will not be as thick as the old one, and will be more prone to breaking and getting infected. When it comes to scabs, if it does not flake off easily, it is not time to remove it. Debriding a wound is something a doctor does, not the patient. Don't debride your own wounds unless you know exactly what you are doing. Be extra mindful of feelings of "warmth", localized swelling, and redness in the area just under and around where you have removed the scab. If you experience any of those, see your GP right away. In the mean time, keeping the site protected but dry, and treatment with a dry antibiotic (again, betadine unless you are allergic to iodine) will be your best care plan at this point.

(The scab is more than just a protective covering when it comes to deep tissue regeneration you know. The scab will be full of fibroblasts and deposited fibronectin, which is used as the scaffold for new tissue migration in the healing process. By dislodging the scab, you have greatly reduced the site's ability to properly fill in tissue. If it were my wound, I would attempt to make it bleed, so that new deposition of these factors will occur. However, I do not recommend doing that without GP approval for other people. The GP may discourage that action, as it opens the wound and risks infection in a big way until it closes again. Really, you should not have removed the scab,)

[nenjin]

PA at my doctor wasn't too terribly worried about it. Said it looked clean of infection so far. Told me to put triple antibiotic ointment on it twice a day, change the bandaid twice a day. Said to let it get wet but not to let it soak. Said if it's still bleeding after 7 to 10 days that she would probably refer me to a plastic surgeon to talk about options. But seemed confident it would close up soon if treated right.

I mentioned Bentadine btw, and she kinda shook her head. She said while it was good for covering wounds and preventing infection, she didn't think it would help it heal any faster.

So we're back in "wait and bleed mode."

[martinuzz]

Betadine doesn't help heal faster, it's just very good at preventing infection, without the risk of breeding resistant strains of bacteria that comes with antibiotics.
If it was my doctor, and she'd give me antibiotics while at the same time saying there's no infection, I'd get another doctor. This one swallowed too much of the pharma coolaid.

[Shazbot]

PA at my doctor wasn't too terribly worried about it. Said it looked clean of infection so far. Told me to put triple antibiotic ointment on it twice a day...

Nailed it.

You've not posted any pictures or I'd say keep a gnarly scar.

[nenjin]

It will be a nice scar, but not nearly so if you'd seen the original wound. Which means it healed pretty well.