Wound in the tropics ?

[berndo]

I have dove with wounds in all stages of healing, from the tips of my toes to the middle of my chest.

If this was actually true, you would know that the tissue in and around an open wound gets really soft from diving day after day and therefore can't heal but gets worse. If it's a couple of days, it's one thing but not for a month.

Getting a random antibiotic to put on the wound is even worse than 'putting a sock on'.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Also not a doctor, I have dove with wounds in all stages of healing, from the tips of my toes to the middle of my chest.
So long as your cleaning, drying and keeping it covered between dives and using a topical AB ointment. So long as you do not have and circulatory issues, immune system issues, or are taking any immuno suppressant medications you should be fine.

Man, if I had a wound from the tip of my toe to the middle of my chest, I most definitely would not be thinking about diving. How do you even get a wound like that?

 

[arew+4]

If this was actually true, you would know that the tissue in and around an open wound gets really soft from diving day after day and therefore can't heal but gets worse. If it's a couple of days, it's one thing but not for a month.

Getting a random antibiotic to put on the wound is even worse than 'putting a sock on'.

Yes, the scabs soften and often fall off, the tissue surrounding the scabs can also soften. The osmotic force from the solute gradient can actually pull water from the skin and any bacteria. This is why swimming in the ocean often improves peoples acne. Are there potentially harmful microbes in the ocean? Certainly. Enough to worry about with a minor skin lesion or wound? No, not without some other underlying factor. Neosporin and such are not random antibiotics.

 

[arew+4]

Man, if I had a wound from the tip of my toe to the middle of my chest, I most definitely would not be thinking about diving. How do you even get a wound like that?

Not all at once snarkmeister, although I did take a tumble in the surf once, scraped up both hands, both knees, and got a pretty deep gouge on one shin. No stitches needed, dove the next couple days.

 

[berndo]

Yes, the scabs soften and often fall off, the tissue surrounding the scabs can also soften.

No, scabs don't even form when you're in the water every day. It's not that the tissue 'can' soften, it does soften and doesn't have a change to heal. I'm not talking about shallow cuts into the skin but cuts into flesh. They do not heal up.

I genuinely hope OP goes and sees a doctor or at least lets his wound heal for a little and doesn't take these idiotic suggestion to just kept diving until he gets an infection.
Good lord, I mean, really? WTF?

This is why swimming in the ocean often improves peoples acne.

Acne is not a flesh wound.

... dove the next couple days.

I said if it's couple of days I'd probably do it too but the OP is there for another month!

 

[arew+4]

No, scabs don't even form when you're in the water every day. It's not that the tissue 'can' soften, it does soften and doesn't have a change to heal. I'm not talking about shallow cuts into the skin but cuts into flesh. They do not heal up.

I genuinely hope OP goes and sees a doctor or at least lets his wound heal for a little and doesn't take these idiotic suggestion to just kept diving until he gets an infection.
Good lord, I mean, really? WTF?


Acne is not a flesh wound.


I said if it's couple of days I'd probably do it too but the OP is there for another month!

I have no idea what you are going on about, I have had cuts or scrapes occur on the first day of a two week trip and they heal up just fine. The problem with this one will be the location and the constant rubbing by anything that gets put on the foot. Some sort of padding, and yes I'm going to do it, and a sock could help that. If it won't heal up she should stop diving for a few days. They could also mitigate that some what by buying a cheap pair of tropical fins and cutting away the rubbing bits

 

[The Chairman]

I have no idea what you are going on about,

He's an expert: just ask him!

I don't like scabs, and they seem to inhibit healing for me. I would often soak and debride wounds if I wasn't diving.

I remember a trip to Idaho when I was in college. I did a lot of volunteer work back then and the day before I left I got a nasty gash on my right pointy finger knuckle down to the bone working on a church bus! Yeeesh, it was ugly, and in over a week up there it did not seem to want to heal one bit. Then, my cousin brought us to a hot springs when it was -15F. It was stupid cold getting ready, but WHOA, I was absolutely warm for the first time I had left Florida. I would sit on the edge of the pool to cool off and my hair would freeze! Wow, it was a neat experience. Getting out and drying off was easy as you still had a lot of pent up heat. In the car I realized that my gash hadn't been itchy, so I looked. All the scab was gone, the wound had finally closed completely and the real healing had begun. Unlike the 80+% humidity in Florida, it was less than 5%.

Moisture is needed to heal. Diving provides absolute moisture. At least for me. Here is a .gov link to support that: Clinical Impact Upon Wound Healing and Inflammation in Moist, Wet, and Dry Environments.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I realized that my gash hadn't been itchy, so I looked. All the scab was gone, the wound had finally closed completely and the real healing had begun.

Holy hot tubs, Batman!

Sounds like you should have bottled some of that water.

What about when you go into a lake and the perch come over and eat your scabs? Infection? No infection? Magical perch healing powers?

I'm sure someone here has an opinion.

 

[berndo]

Yeeesh, it was ugly, and in over a week up there it did not seem to want to heal one bit. Then, my cousin brought us to a hot springs when it was -15F. It was stupid cold getting ready, but WHOA, I was absolutely warm for the first time I had left Florida. I would sit on the edge of the pool to cool off and my hair would freeze! Wow, it was a neat experience. Getting out and drying off was easy as you still had a lot of pent up heat. In the car I realized that my gash hadn't been itchy, so I looked. All the scab was gone, the wound had finally closed completely and the real healing had begun.

You gotta be kidding. So you had a wound, kept it dry until a scab formed over it and the wound could heal under the scab... than it fell off in the water? Yeah you let it heal and than went into a hot spring.
How does that bring you to the conclusion it's good to soak a fresh flesh wound in warm salt water for a couple of hours a day? (It a rhetorical question)

It just reported what I have seen many times when I worked as an instructor.

I hope some doctor sees this at some point.

 

[happy-diver]

When you dive in salt bays coves etc with not much flow and an accumulation of particulates and general crap
amputation is on the cards