water on road rash

I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it seems
to be doing OK.

But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it?
It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing
away each day.

JT

 

"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it
> seems to be doing OK.
>
> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
> but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It
> seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away
> each day.
>
> JT
You may want to look at the following.

http://www.freewheel.com/mvw/cure.htm http://www.tenlinks.com/cycling/medical/roadrash.htm

 

>>
>> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
>> but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it?
>> It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing
>> away each day.
>>

Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it washes away the dead cells
and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve endings. If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm"
over it when showering, that will keep the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is
about 4x6 inches.

Happy healing!

jw RN milwaukee

 

Bill <[email protected]> wrote:
> John Forrest Tomlinson <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it
>> seems to be doing OK.
>>
>> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
>> but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it?
>> It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing
>> away each day.
>
> You may want to look at the following.
>
> http://www.freewheel.com/mvw/cure.htm

Yes, indeed. I followed this advice recently, and, using the suggested tegaderm patches, was healed
in about a week. Since the tegaderm can stay applied for a week at a time, it only hurt until I got
the wound dressed. After that, water could get out but not in, even when showering or during
physical activity. The liquid will stop draining after a few days.

Also, make sure you heed the advice about taping the egdes, as it tends to unstick with time.

--
Jeremy A. Gray [email protected]

"Remember the Pueblo." -- the Fourth Law of Marvin

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(J999w) wrote:

> >>
> >> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate
> >> it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on
> >> it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm
> >> washing away each day.
> >>
>
> Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it washes away the dead cells
> and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve endings. If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm"
> over it when showering, that
will keep
> the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is about 4x6 inches.
>
> Happy healing!
>
> jw RN milwaukee

Speaking of road rash, has anyone tried that Bandaid Liquid bandage? I have seen it advertised, but
it's not available here just yet. Great idea, of course, being used for years by medical
professionals, but I can see cyclists lining up for it. Probably not good for big patches of road
rash, but for smaller ouchies it could probably be great.

 

"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it
> seems to be doing OK.
>
> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
> but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It
> seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away
> each day.

Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.

Showers are no problem with it on, neither is riding.

 

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:AJCya.434

> Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.

I rarely crash (I'm a bit of a wimp in pushy situations) and in the falls I've had haven't had road
rash since, like, I can't remember. Maybe 1987? Sprained wrist, broken helment (incident with a car
-- I would have been deaaddd!!!!!! without my helmet), torn clothes are all I can remember in the
recent past.

But yeah, I'll try to get some Tegaderm today.

JT

--
*******************************************
NB: reply-to address is munged

Visit http://www.jt10000.com
*******************************************

 

JT

keeping it wet, and washing off the slimey tissue is the quickest way to heal. It also scars
less. I learned that the hard way when I had a big wipe out in SF years ago. try a bath, if you
have the time.

yer ol' teammate from #*!head

O

[email protected] (John Forrest Tomlinson) wrote in
> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it
> but am wondering if this is slowing the healing.
>
> JT

 

My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and does
it until it dries. But it works well on small abrasions,cuts or blisters. I don't think it would do
very well on road rash.

Vaughn

"Marlene Blanshay" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> (J999w) wrote:
>
> > >>
> > >> But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate
> > >> it but am wondering if this is slowing
the
> > >> healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems
like
> > >> there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each
> > >> day.
> > >>
> >
> > Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it
washes
> > away the dead cells and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve
endings.
> > If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm" over it when showering, that
> will keep
> > the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is about 4x6
inches.
> >
> > Happy healing!
> >
> > jw RN milwaukee
>
> Speaking of road rash, has anyone tried that Bandaid Liquid bandage? I have seen it advertised,
> but it's not available here just yet. Great idea, of course, being used for years by medical
> professionals, but I can see cyclists lining up for it. Probably not good for big patches of road
> rash, but for smaller ouchies it could probably be great.

 

"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:AJCya.434
>
> > Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.
>
> I rarely crash (I'm a bit of a wimp in pushy situations) and in the falls I've had haven't had
> road rash since, like, I can't remember. Maybe 1987? Sprained wrist, broken helment (incident with
> a car -- I would have been deaaddd!!!!!! without my helmet), torn clothes are all I can remember
> in the recent past.
>
> But yeah, I'll try to get some Tegaderm today.

Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or
larger) and not many stock it.

The best place to go is whichever pharmacy supplies your local burn center. Typically, those
pharmacies will stock it in sizes up to 11x17".

good luck.

 

Vaughn wrote:
> My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and
> does it until it dries.
>
...after which point is just stinks to high heaven. I find the solvent-raw plastic smell wafting
from the bandage so distracting that the first time I tried it I washed it off an hour later.

 

In article <[email protected]>, "Kyle Legate"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Vaughn wrote:
> > My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and
> > does it until it dries.
> >
> ...after which point is just stinks to high heaven. I find the solvent-raw plastic smell wafting
> from the bandage so distracting that the first time I tried it I washed it off an hour later.

Oh yech... I had no idea it smelled.

I also saw something advertised called "Metaderm", which is supposed to be great for healing things
like scars, surgery, stretch marks. IT's not like bandaid, but it's supposed to make things heal
better with less scarring. I can see that going over well with cyclists also. However, I haven't
seen it around here just yet.

 

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message [Tegaderm]
> Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or
> larger) and not many stock it.

I just got some 4 x 4" -- ouch, it was $30 for ten...

Will try it tonight.

JT

 

John Forrest Tomlinson <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message [Tegaderm]
> > Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or
> > larger) and not many stock it.

> I just got some 4 x 4" -- ouch, it was $30 for ten...

> Will try it tonight.

Ow. I got a box of 10 3" x 4" Tegaderm patches for $8-10 at the local Longs' Drugs (West Coast
equivalent of Rite Aid/Walgreens?). It's great stuff. I did find that if you've smeared too much
Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the Tegaderm won't adhere as well. It kind of needs a margin of
clean skin near the outer edge of the bandage. BTW, yet another advantage of Tegaderm is that you
can put it near a knee or elbow and it won't fall off from repeated flexing.

I have heard that there is a spray on equivalent, but I also heard that it stings like hell.
No thanks.

Ben

 

"Benjamin Weiner" <[email protected]> wrote WRT Tegaderm: "It's great stuff. I did find that if
you've smeared too much Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the Tegaderm won't adhere as well. It kind
of needs a margin of clean skin near the outer edge of the bandage. "

I would suggest not using any Neosporin, etc. under Tegaderm or any of the other semi-permeable
dressings. It is not needed, does little to improve wound healing and will make the
semi-permeable dressing stick less well. I have posted a method for applying these types of
dressings that works very well and gets more use out of each dressing which decreases the fuss
and cost. You can find it at:

http://www.obra.org/wound_care.html

--
Mike Murray MD

 

On 5/21/03 12:45 PM, in article
[email protected], "John Forrest Tomlinson"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> "Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message [Tegaderm]
>> Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or
>> larger) and not many stock it.
>
> I just got some 4 x 4" -- ouch, it was $30 for ten...
>
> Will try it tonight.
>
> JT

Speaking of "water on road rash" I wonder what Super Mario's take is on this subject. He was doin
some cool water skiing on his ass this morning..

 

Probably scrubbed it out with peroxide! <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BAF1762E.4270D%[email protected]...
> On 5/21/03 12:45 PM, in article
> [email protected], "John Forrest Tomlinson"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > "Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message [Tegaderm]
> >> Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or
> >> larger) and not many stock it.
> >
> > I just got some 4 x 4" -- ouch, it was $30 for ten...
> >
> > Will try it tonight.
> >
> > JT
>
> Speaking of "water on road rash" I wonder what Super Mario's take is on
this
> subject. He was doin some cool water skiing on his ass this morning..

 

"Mike Murray" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

-clipped stuff-

> I have posted a method for applying these types of dressings that works very well and gets more
> use out of each dressing which decreases the fuss and cost. You can find it at:
>
> http://www.obra.org/wound_care.html

Great procedure for using tegaderm; thanks Mike.

 

On 21 May 2003 14:20:31 -0800, Benjamin Weiner <[email protected]> wrote:

>It's great stuff. I did find that if you've smeared too much Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the
>Tegaderm won't adhere as well.

When I took my Wilderness First Responder course, they were clear that you should *not* put
polysporin directly on any wound, regardless of the dressing. If is designed to kill bacteria, but
in sufficient quantities, it can apparently kill some healing tissue.

What they told us was that all you want to do is create a sterile environment, and should put a
light layer of polysporin on the dressing itself. If you're using a moist dressing (I'm not familiar
with Tegaderm, but I'm going shopping) that seems unecesary.