Keep hand sanitizer on the boat and use it!

[GaryDroze]

Came back from Price's Point Tourney last night with a few minor puncture wounds in my hands, from landing fish without a net, and typical tiny stab wounds from dragging the kayak through the marsh needle grass. No biggee.

Woke up at 6am today with a fierce burning pain in my left palm, and quickly expanding, ugly sore. I figured to tough it out, but my wife Vicky (boss) said no way when she saw purple streaks running up my forearm. We went to CHP urgent care, where they took a culture, gave me a tetanus shot, and put me on major antibiotics. Will find out in two days, but doc said looks like MRSA (a "flesh-eating" bacterium). People lose limbs from this. Also, it hurts like hell. Thanks to my wife's quick action, I should still have my left hand for Rock the Dock. Doc says no fishing until 10 days of antibiotics are complete, but he doesn't understand that RTD is a big deal.

LESSON: Some years back, Otto Hough, who went through this challenge in his legs, told me to ALWAYS have hand sanitizer nearby when fishing, and use it every time I get a nick in the skin. I did so until I ran out and failed to reload this year. Stupid me.

Learn from my stupidity. Save your appendages. Apply hand sanitizer when you compromise your skin in salt water!!!

[Juan]

Great advice. I hope you heal without complications. I keep hand sanitizer in the truck and I think I'll be moving it into the boat now.

[silverking]

Get well soon, Gary.

I carry peroxide on the boat and anytime I get a cut, puncture, I douse it thoroughly. All kinds of nasty critters in the water.

[cotton]

Great advice. A couple of years ago I got the bright idea to eat a gar. So, I did. I never even saw a cut, but it cost me a doctors visit after my hand swelled up about twice its normal size.

Also if you don’t remember when your last tenatus shot was be sure to get one on your next doctors visit. True story, my father died from a scratch from a rusty nail.

[FishWithChris]

Thoughts of that happening has never crossed my mind, Droze... damn sure going to remember about it every time I get nicked by a fin now. Take care of that stuff and stay up on those antibiotics....

I'd hate for all of us to start getting beat every tournament by a one-armed wade/kayak fisherman!

[HighOnTheFlats]

great reminder that this obsession doesn't come with out risk..

[SHOWBOAT]

sorry to hear it Gary. Glad you addressed expeditiously and are on the mend.

[laxman20]

Get well soon! Great advice; I will be adding some to the boat box.

[onefishtwofish]

Scary stuff Gary.

Couple of thoughts. Maybe a "real doc" will chime in if one is on here.

Silver: Peroxide is not really a good wound cleaner. It actually does a good job at removing debris because of the bubbling action, but it does not kill bacteria very well.

There are lots of different strains of "flesh eating" bacteria (necrotizing faciitis). Vibrio is a common one found in brackish water and is a nasty bug.

hand sanitizer requires 10 minutes of contact to kill bacteria. So don't put it on and then dry it, or even worse rinse your hands. An antibacterial scrub (like Hibiclens) is not very expensive, very stable and will sit on your boat and be effective for a long time. Wash any wounds thoroughly and you should be much more sterile than a sanitizer. Rinse with bottled water instead of saltwater (neither are sterile, but bottled is closer). Most of these nasty bugs are pretty easy to kill when they first gain entrance, but tough once the infection has spread.

[Salty Gator]

I keep betadine solution for flushing out wounds, doesn’t sting, works very well and relatively stable. I try to remember bleach for stings ( got hit by a leatherjacket once and bleach slowed the throbbing), but that reminds me that I need a new bottle.

[onefishtwofish]

I keep betadine solution for flushing out wounds, doesn’t sting, works very well and relatively stable. I try to remember bleach for stings ( got hit by a leatherjacket once and bleach slowed the throbbing), but that reminds me that I need a new bottle.

I always carry chewing tobacco for stings. usually in my mouth!

Hot water for catfish barbs! Anyone else done this? Worked well for me once after my nephew told me to try it. Put a water bottle on the deck until it heated up in the sun and it never really hurt that bad.

[Juan]

I've heard that when stuck by a catfish barb, rubbing slime from the catfish on the wound takes the sting out. True or False? Probably an old wive's tale but I've tried it and it seemed to work. Might have been a "mental" thing.

[silverking]

Thanks for the tip, Doc.

I'll ditch the peroxide and get some scrub instead for my camping/fishing adventure this week!

[HighOnTheFlats]

Scary stuff Gary.

Couple of thoughts. Maybe a "real doc" will chime in if one is on here.

Silver: Peroxide is not really a good wound cleaner. It actually does a good job at removing debris because of the bubbling action, but it does not kill bacteria very well.

There are lots of different strains of "flesh eating" bacteria (necrotizing faciitis). Vibrio is a common one found in brackish water and is a nasty bug.

hand sanitizer requires 10 minutes of contact to kill bacteria. So don't put it on and then dry it, or even worse rinse your hands. An antibacterial scrub (like Hibiclens) is not very expensive, very stable and will sit on your boat and be effective for a long time. Wash any wounds thoroughly and you should be much more sterile than a sanitizer. Rinse with bottled water instead of saltwater (neither are sterile, but bottled is closer). Most of these nasty bugs are pretty easy to kill when they first gain entrance, but tough once the infection has spread.

Half-way there, hydrogen peroxide is a great anti-septic for wounds. Keep in mind any sterile liquid can be used to irrigate a wound. In fact, surgical equipment has been and can be sterilized with peroxide. Hand sanitizer is effective as soon as it is evaporated from the skins surface. But your right in saying not all bacteria responds to sanitizer and that is where actually washing your hands with antibacterial soap comes in to play. you should wash your hands after every few times after applying hand sanitizer.

[HighOnTheFlats]

I keep betadine solution for flushing out wounds, doesn’t sting, works very well and relatively stable. I try to remember bleach for stings ( got hit by a leatherjacket once and bleach slowed the throbbing), but that reminds me that I need a new bottle.

I always carry chewing tobacco for stings. usually in my mouth!

Hot water for catfish barbs! Anyone else done this? Worked well for me once after my nephew told me to try it. Put a water bottle on the deck until it heated up in the sun and it never really hurt that bad.

A warm compress is great for dulling down pain, and if the wound has not been cleaned this can promote inflammation and give any "germs" a better chance of spreading.

Cold compress' are great to dull pain and keep inflammation down.