lovinmyboys Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I noticed on Friday that my ds had what I thought was a bug bite with a swollen red circle around it. Saturday it was bigger and today the red circle and spread even more. I don't think it was a bug bite now-it is some kind of cut or something. Anyway, it doesn't hurt him at all. If the red is still there tomorrow, do you think it is something the dr should look at? Any idea what it could be? (It is not a bullseye. The red is in a circle all around the original wound. It wraps around his arm. The wound is on his bicep and the circle goes almost to his elbow). Quote
TXBeth Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 With it that big, I would take him in immediately. Infections are nothing to mess around with and they can get in the bloodstream so fast. Maybe post a pic if you aren't sure... 3 Quote
lovinmyboys Posted May 31, 2016 Author Posted May 31, 2016 It doesn't have red streaks. It is pretty clearly a circle (well, more of an oval). I think I will take him tomorrow. I noticed it on Friday so surely it won't become dangerous overnight. If it would have hurt I would have already taken him to the dr, but he says it doesn't hurt at all and didn't even know what I was talking about until I showed it to him. Wouldn't an infection hurt? Quote
klmama Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 Wouldn't an infection hurt? Not necessarily. One of my teens had a wound with swelling that started spreading, and it didn't hurt. Dc didn't tell me about it until it had been there several days and had gotten red several inches out from the wound. :glare: I drew dashes on the outline of it with a sharpie so I could verify that it was spreading, and when I saw that it had I took dc to see a doctor. She prescribed an antibiotic, which cleared it up in just a couple of days (although dc still had to finish the antibiotic). If your ds is still up, draw the dotted outline now, so you can compare it tomorrow. You don't want to wait for streaks to occur. 2 Quote
J-rap Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I do wonder if it could be a tick bite. My dd had a reaction like that (not the typical bull's-eye that you hear about), and it was Lyme Disease. It took two doctors to diagnose it. 3 Quote
MEmama Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I do wonder if it could be a tick bite. My dd had a reaction like that (not the typical bull's-eye that you hear about), and it was Lyme Disease. It took two doctors to diagnose it. I would definitely take him in. Unless they can absolutely verify its an infection around a cut, I would insist on testing for Lyme. The bullseye is much less common than doctors would have us believe, and the lack of one is not an indicator it isn't Lyme. You might have other tick borne diseases in your area as well. 1 Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 Go get it checked. It can be a mild allergic reaction to whatever bit or scratched him but could be something scarier so it's best to check up. Quote
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 It still could be a bug bite. One of mine scratched at a bug bite so much it became infected. I took him to a walk in and they gave him an antibiotic. Quote
TammyS Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I'm not a go to the doc person, but I would take him, because it's getting worse. It may not be an infection. It could also be an allergic reaction. But I wouldn't let this progress further, either way, without getting it seen. And I say this as someone whose family doesn't go to a doctor 4 times in a year, between 4 of us. 1 Quote
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I'm not a go to the doctor person either. I did take DS in for this. You don't have to go to the ER. A walk in or the regular doc should suffice. Quote
AmandaVT Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 Sounds exactly like my spider bite reaction that I had last year. I ended up at urgent care with a shot in my bum. And then lots of antihistamines and 2 follow up visits to my Dr. I'd take him in sooner rather than later. I waited and by the time I went in, I was starting to have tingling feelings in my throat. Quote
JFSinIL Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Whether is is a spider bite, Lyme, or cellulitis, take him in asap. This does not sound like a benign reaction (although might be) and untreated it could be bad, and also harder to treat the longer you wait. Keep us posted, and good luck! Edited May 31, 2016 by JFSinIL 1 Quote
ktgrok Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 My sweet 3 yr old niece had similar symptoms, almost exactly, and it was a staph infection (from a bug bite). She ended up needing antibiotics. Quote
Pippen Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 Take a picture ASAP so you have a record of what it looks like, because rashes have an uncanny way of not being visible when you've scheduled an appt. I would see a doctor. 2 Quote
TranquilMind Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 I noticed on Friday that my ds had what I thought was a bug bite with a swollen red circle around it. Saturday it was bigger and today the red circle and spread even more. I don't think it was a bug bite now-it is some kind of cut or something. Anyway, it doesn't hurt him at all. If the red is still there tomorrow, do you think it is something the dr should look at? Any idea what it could be? (It is not a bullseye. The red is in a circle all around the original wound. It wraps around his arm. The wound is on his bicep and the circle goes almost to his elbow). With a circle around it, it could actually be a tick bite. I would get to the doctor immediately and get treated for Lyme, just in case, knowing what I know today. 2 Quote
MEmama Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Take a picture ASAP so you have a record of what it looks like, because rashes have an uncanny way of not being visible when you've scheduled an appt. I would see a doctor. This is good advice for any rash. Our doctor always appreciates it when I can whip out my phone and show him what it looked like yesterday/this morning/whatever. He says it's one of the best things a patient can do, because the doctor can tell so much from how they look and evolve. Edited May 31, 2016 by MEmama Quote
prairiewindmomma Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 The description is very similar to when my dd got MRSA. I thought it was a bug bite, but it was MRSA (staph). Draw a pen line around it now, and take the child in now. 1 Quote
EmseB Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Another vote for go to the doctor. DH had something similar and ended up hospitalized for days because he went septic because it was MRSA. He let the injury go for a couple weeks because he couldn't get seen for "just" a rash, and then all of a sudden it abscessed, he got a fever, and it took him down. We dealt with the side effects for months afterwards. Any injury with increased redness that gets worse over time and doesn't get better with cleaning and basic wound care...I'm going in. Edited May 31, 2016 by JodiSue Quote
lovinmyboys Posted June 3, 2016 Author Posted June 3, 2016 (edited) The dr didn't culture it but felt like it was likely mrsa, so he is doing antibiotics and it looks tons better already. I don't feel like this dr usually rushes to prescribe antibiotics, so I am good with it. Thanks for the advice. Edited June 3, 2016 by lovinmyboys 5 Quote
happi duck Posted June 3, 2016 Posted June 3, 2016 The dr didn't culture it but felt like it was likely mrsa, so he is doing antibiotics and it looks tons better already. I don't feel like this dr usually rushes to prescribe antibiotics, so I am good with it. Thanks for the advice. Thanks for the update. I'm glad you were able to see the doctor. 3 Quote
MEmama Posted June 3, 2016 Posted June 3, 2016 Glad to hear you were able to get him in and treated--yikes!! Quote
Ausmumof3 Posted June 3, 2016 Posted June 3, 2016 I'm glad. Good reason for antibiotics I think. Quote
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