To pop/prick a burn blister or not ?? (Update)

[Dave7]

Mrs Dave decided to pour boiling water on the back of her hand.
Immediate flushing with cold water followed by lots of lavender and we thought "phew....looks like we caught it".
Over night a nice juicy blister has appeared.
Googled NHS and it says DO NOT PRICK as the fluid is what protects the underneath layer from infection etc.
Now.....for many years I understood that blisters could/should be pricked.
Just shows how opinions change.
Anyway...........
Went to pharmacist who said...." looks infected...go to the doctor".....who said....."no appointments left-go to the "hub" where they have nurses".... who said they "have no appointments available...go to your doctor".
All we want is a doctors opinion and (if the pharmacist is correct) some antibiotics so dont want to sit in A&E for 4 hours........and that is not a dig at our NHS who generally do a great job.

 

[vickster]

Call 111 who can refer you to an emergency GP with a specific appointment

Or call your GP surgery and ask to speak to someone by phone if they can't see you face to face

In the meantime keep it covered and dry

 

[IBarrett]

cut it
cover it with iodine
peel Mrs Dave off the ceiling

Well thats what the medics did with my walking blisters in the 80's

 

[AndyRM]

My approach (rightly, or more probably wrongly) has always been to prick it, drain the fluid, then wrap tightly with bandage/gauze. This seems to sort of re-attach the skin within a few hours.

@vickster's advice is far more sensible.

 

[vickster]

cut it
cover it with iodine
peel Mrs Dave off the ceiling

Well thats what the medics did with my walking blisters in the 80's

I wouldn't treat an infected burn in the same way as a walking blister

 

[Dave7]

Call 111 who can refer you to an emergency GP with a specific appointment

Or call your GP surgery and ask to speak to someone by phone if they can't see you face to face

In the meantime keep it covered and dry

Thanks
GP has just phoned and will see her at 18:15 tonight.

 

[Dave7]

Call 111 who can refer you to an emergency GP with a specific appointment

Or call your GP surgery and ask to speak to someone by phone if they can't see you face to face

In the meantime keep it covered and dry

Got in to see the Doc......a good job as she says its infected. Mrs Dave is allergic to anything ending in "cyllin" so is applying Fusidic Acid cream

 

[IBarrett]

Well that sounds just as bad as pouring boiling water on in the first place.

Can someone explain how pouring boiling water onto skin ends up with an infection under unbroken skin - I thought boiling water sterilised things.

 

[vickster]

Well that sounds just as bad as pouring boiling water on in the first place.

Can someone explain how pouring boiling water onto skin ends up with an infection under unbroken skin - I thought boiling water sterilised things.

I guess because it’s hot so the skin burns and blisters. It doesn’t sterilise skin which is already covered in bugs most of which don’t cause an issue until the skin is damaged

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/complications/#infection

Why is applying antibiotic cream as bad as burning the skin?

 

[IBarrett]

But I guessed from the subject of the thread the blister hadn't burst so how does it get infected?

The NHS link only relates to "If your burn or scald has a blister that has burst, it may become infected if it's not kept clean"
Which I do understand.

 

[vickster]

But I guessed from the subject of the thread the blister hadn't burst so how does it get infected?

The NHS link only relates to "If your burn or scald has a blister that has burst, it may become infected if it's not kept clean"
Which I do understand.

Because maybe the bugs were on the skin before the blister formed or the blister wasn’t completely airtight. The OPs wife doesn’t live in a sterile bubble afaik
Maybe go ask Dr Google ?

 

[FishFright]

A splash of hot water won't counts a sterilisation , so many nasties would survive a short exposure

 

[Dave7]

But I guessed from the subject of the thread the blister hadn't burst so how does it get infected?

The NHS link only relates to "If your burn or scald has a blister that has burst, it may become infected if it's not kept clean"
Which I do understand.

TBH we never thought to ask that.......it is a good question.
Both the pharmacist and Doctor said it was infected so (in our state of panic) we just accepted it.