1. Welcome to the Foot Health Forum community where you can ask about foot problems and get help, as well as be up-to-date with the latest foot health information. Only registered members can ask a question, but you do not need to register to respond and give help. Please become part of the community (here) and check out the shop.

infected big toe

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by toehurts, Aug 2, 2009.

  1. toehurts

    toehurts Guest


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Hi well for the last few weeks I have suffered with aan infected big toe with ingrown toenail.I was initially given penicilin to take. I took these for about four days and then stopped as missed a few tablets.My foot is still swollen red and the side of my nail is black. Yesterday the pain was nearly unbearable to walk on and during work I had to go to A and E . I was given more peniclin to take and will take the whole course this time, I was told id also need to see a foot doctor as will need surgery after the infection has gone. The pain now comes and goes today some of the toe underneath nail has turnt white does anybody know what this is? Also what course of surgery is most commonly needed, and overall duration of infection I was told about 7 days for tablets to work and infection to clear is this the norm?
     
  2. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    DISCLAIMER:
    THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
    ***********************************************************
    If all you really have is an infected ingrown nail, the primary treatment for this and ANY superficial infection is drainage of the infection and institution of further drainage through soaks. That is "Infection Care 101," and your doctors should know that. The drainage of an infected ingrown nail is generally accomplished by a palliative removal of the ingrowing nail segment, generally, but not always under local anesthesia. Unless the infection is out of hand or the patient has other complicating factors such as diabetes or circulatory insufficiency, personally, I rarely give antibiotics. If the infection seems out of hand, PRIOR to the patient's taking antibiotics, I would generally take a specimen of the exudate, maybe do a gram stain, and then have a culture and sensitivity run. I would then guess on the appropriate immediate antibiotic and then wait for the results of the culture and sensitivity for a definitive antibiotic selection if still needed. ONLY after the infection is cleared would I then generally advise a permanent ingrown nail procedure. You should have been seen by a podiatrist from the get-go, as it seems to me that the doctors you have been seeing do not know the basics of treating this situation.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
  3. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I took my grandmother to see her foot dr because she was complaining that her big toe was bothering her. When I looked at her toe the nail was coming off and had hard fungus (I would think that's what it was) under it pushing it up and causing it to come off. The foot dr cut her nails and with the big toe, cut the nail totally off. He wrapped it and put neosporin on it. She was told to upwrap it the next day and clean it up and wrap it up again. She did this until I noticed that it was becoming red and swollen. Then one day it started to bleed. I took her to her family dr and he stated it was seriously infected and sent her home with an antibiotic. That didn't help much, the toe started to turn black and blue and would still bleed. I took her back to her family dr as the redness and swelling continued up her leg. He advised that she go to the hospital and have it x-rayed. The x-ray showed that it was infected to the bone and therefore she would need to have her toe removed. She is diabetic and takes care of her feet. Is there something that we can do because the foot doctor did not catch this earlier enough to save her toe? He barely looked at nor listened to her complaint of pain in her toe. He simply cut the nails and sent her home. I feel that this is a kind of malpractice. Please...any advice would be greatly appreciated.
     
Loading...

Share This Page