Removing wicking material after drainage!!

[BoyMama2000]

Hi Everyone, I need help!!! My son had an abscess drained last night. They told him to just take out the wicking material this morning before he showered. He did take out some padding but when I looked after his shower, I could see there was a piece of the wicking material. I tried to pull it out and he screamed in pain so I stopped. I called the nurse and she told me to just pull it out very quickly. She said it will hurt him but it won't harm anything. I asked her a warm bath would help first. She said it might. Has this happened to any of you? Do you have any tips. Could it be somehow attached or adhesed and it would really pull on something if I forcefully take it out?

Any tips or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! He is at school now and she said that sitting on it may help to loosen it.

Thanks.

 

[Sailorluna]

I am sorry. What a difficult thing to have to do. For me pulling out the packing was very painful one time but ok the time before.

I don't think it can cause problems, but it sure can hurt.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

Yeah a similar thing happened to me, it will be painful but not harmful. The thought it probably worse than the actual thing.
Also, its horrible to deal with at the beginning while its all so unfamiliar, but it will get easier.
Good luck!

 

[BoyMama2000]

Thanks, he ended up doing it himself. It hurt but he got over it quicky!

How long until the tissue looks normal again. He isn't really having any drainage. It looks a lot less red but I can still see some redness and a little swelling.

Thanks again!

 

[Sailorluna]

I was never brave enough to look. Sorry! I can tell you that it generally hurt for 3-5 days or so. Likely it looked red and swollen during that time too - I never used a mirror to see. Glad to hear he got that out.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

I just had my abdominal abscess wound heal after 2 yrs. due to surgery on it from several infections.

it will depend on what type of infection was found if the MD did use a swap to get a sample from the wound, how deep it was, the length,etc.

Follow the instructions for caring/cleaning it. If he develops redness, pain, a fever, green oozing, or even white oozing call the MD ASAP because an infection can be present.

good luck from one who's been there many times over. ~Gutless Wonder Woman

 

[BoyMama2000]

Thanks for the info. I don't think he did a swab. That will be a good question for our follow up on Tuesday. He said it wasn't very deep and that the tissue around it looked very healthy. Maybe that is a good sign...I guess like everything with this...time will tell!

Thanks again and glad you are healed after such a long haul!

 

[pipmom]

My daughter is four days post op from laying open a non healing Crohns pocket alongside her anus. Doc said not infected. Now has painful excoriated perianal area. Very red. Is this reaction to alginate packing or an overgrowth yeast/fungal infection. On Flagyl and Cipro forever because of fistula/Seton. Called nurse and she is unsure, but to stop packing and just use saline wet to dry gauze.Anybody had this problem? Also on Methotrexate.

 

[KWalker]

pipmom- I have copied your post to your own thread here http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=47374 so you can get more answers.


BoyMama2000- I had my last surgery for my abscess in December of 2011 and it is definitely still open. I had to have a big surgery for mine because my abscess was 7.5" long but it looks like a mess down there. As far as pain though, it didn't hurt too much longer after the surgery. I cringed when you said the nurse told you to rip it out fast. If you ever need to do it again, the easiest/safest thing to do is to really soak the area because it will come out easier. Also, I don't know how old your son is and if he would let you do it if you ever needed to again, but if he would let you, you just soak it and then pull it out very slowly. The packing tends to get stuck to wound because when it is put in, it is usually wet with pus and blood. Over time that packing soaks up the liquid and it gets dry. It hurts a lot when ripping it out fast too!

Were you told to leave packing out after he took it out? When I had my packing I had it for about 6 weeks, every day for a home care nurse.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

It made me cringe thinking about it too! The whole packing situation is horrible! It sounds like he is dealing with it well though.
I also had nurses doing mine every day for about 4 weeks I think. Or it might have been two weeks and I did it myself for a bit with them checking it a couple of times a week.