Slipper Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 My oldest daughter has torn her big toe toenail. It's ripped about 1/3 into the bed of her nail and down the side of her nail. The side of her nail is slightly bleeding. It looks very painful. I managed to clean it once with peroxide although she wasn't happy about that. I put neosporin on it and then made a loose bandage with gauze and medical paper tape. After about an hour, I went to change the bandage since it was still bleeding a bit. I tried to clean it with peroxide again and it bubbled up quite a bit, but she started crying and screaming a bit, so I stopped. (This is my autistic daughter - she has a high pain tolerance but cleaning the toe is bothering her a good deal). I blotted off the peroxide and put more neosporin on and bandaged up again. Left alone, she seems fine. I am very worried about infection. She typically won't keep bandages on and we're all checking on her every five to ten minutes to make sure it's staying on. I gave her some ibuprofen to help with any pain. Any suggestions on how to keep this clean without hurting her? I have a dental appointment tomorrow to have a cracked tooth cut out. I really don't want to cancel that appointment. I might be able to shift it to Tuesday or take her to a doctor on Tuesday. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to start calling doctors. She is almost asleep so i'm hoping the rest of the night goes fine. (She goes to bed early). She has torn a toenail before but it didn't seem to bother her at all. This one seems to bother her when we mess with it. (I think she ripped this one off herself - she has done that before when she was upset). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeBlessings Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I have an ingrown toenail which tends to get infected. I soak it in warm salt water. I do this if it feels the slightest bit sore to stop it from getting infected. I've also had a few bad infections (complete with red streak) that I knocked out with salt water. I've soaked more open wounds this way too and it didn't hurt so long as there wasn't *too* much salt in the water. Definitely keep a good eye on it, though I'm sure it will be fine. :) With a kiddo, any sign of infection and I would take them to the doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 If it is torn in such a way where there is a hanging or loose end that could get snagged, you might want to super glue it back together. My dh is a dr. and we use super glue around here quite a bit.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 It's not hanging at all. She apparently continued pulling it and it ripped down the side of her toe/toenail. (That's the part that is bleeding). The bed of the nail isn't bleeding, thank goodness. I went to the store and picked up epsom salts and some open toe shoes for her to wear for a bit. She is having teeth pulled on Wednesday (under anesthesia) and will have both antibiotics and pain meds starting then. So, maybe that will help. If it looks weird tomorrow morning, I may run her to our local doctor (rather than her podiatrist) to see if she needs any type of ointment other than the neosporin. Any other suggestions, I am ALL ears. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I'd trim it down as far as I could, then slosh some lavender essential oil over it and stick a bandaid on. I'd repeat that every other or whenever the bandaid came off. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Peroxide won't do much but bubble and look impressive. One can buy "wound wash" which doesn't sting. You could also do a warm soak to float crud out. I would apply antibiotic ointment, as toes tend to be germy and get infected, wrap snugly with a non-adherent telfa (but not too tight) and keep the foot elevated. A reduction in pressure on the foot by keeping it up will make it hurt less. Our podiatrist has us change the dressing daily. More often seems to hurt with all the pulling and poking. We use the wound wash with each change, but gently. After a couple of days I like to let the wound sit out to start to dry and make some granulation tissue if the patient will cooperate. Being my mother's daughter, I "sun" my wounds (she even used to sun our backs when we had chest colds). But re-cover if a shoe is going on or the wound would get dirty. Avoid shoes that put pressure on the area. Usually, IME, if it is going to get angry and infected, it does so in the first 3 days. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I would just watch for infection. However, do keep an eye on it as it grows back out. Take a nail file and run it along the edge of the nail regularly so that it doesn't become ingrown. One of my dds ripped her nail exactly like that, and it became ingrown and abcessed. She had to have surgery to have the whole side of the toe nail removed. The doctor had us do the thing with the nail file as it regrew (again). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 And when she is out for the dental procedure, ask them if they'd mind you messing around at her foot to quickly clean it, trim it, and re-wrap it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeBlessings Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 It's not hanging at all. She apparently continued pulling it and it ripped down the side of her toe/toenail. (That's the part that is bleeding). The bed of the nail isn't bleeding, thank goodness. I went to the store and picked up epsom salts and some open toe shoes for her to wear for a bit. She is having teeth pulled on Wednesday (under anesthesia) and will have both antibiotics and pain meds starting then. So, maybe that will help. If it looks weird tomorrow morning, I may run her to our local doctor (rather than her podiatrist) to see if she needs any type of ointment other than the neosporin. Any other suggestions, I am ALL ears. :) I personally wouldn't use epsom salts with a wound. I use plain old canning salt dissolved in nice warm water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 we use super glue around here quite a bit.:tongue_smilie: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 My oldest daughter has torn her big toe toenail. It's ripped about 1/3 into the bed of her nail and down the side of her nail. The side of her nail is slightly bleeding. It looks very painful. I managed to clean it once with peroxide although she wasn't happy about that. I put neosporin on it and then made a loose bandage with gauze and medical paper tape. How's the toe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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