Road Rash treatment

sagefly

Hi all, Had a rather spectacular off on an oil spill on Mile End Rd this morning :-(

Besides the 2 broken metacarpal bones I've got a lovely bit of grazing down my right leg that makes Cavendish's effort when he got clipped in the Giro last week look like a "mere" flesh wound.

Any advice on the best way to deal with the grazing?

Pretty pissed off about the fall, was meant to be doing Revolution London next weekend with a mate and it seems like 3 months of training is wasted.

One the positive side does anyone fancy the Revolution ride and not have a ticket? I have one spare.................

rick_chasey

From the very hosts of this forum: http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ash-23619/

sagefly

Thanks Rick

sungod

as im the article, get any grit etc. off, use a sterile wound wash, you can get a pump spray from boots, take off excess water with sterile wipe, then get a hydrocolloid dressing on it *before* it starts drying out

but if the wound isn't so deep that it's really wet, 3m tegaderm is probably better and it comes in big sizes (not all chemists have it, even then you have to ask at the phsarmacy counter usually) - it's like a sheet of cling film but it sticks to you

if you had broken bones you went to a&e, i'm surprised they didn't do the road rash while you were there - they did mine, i'd known about the hydrocolloid and had self-dressed, but they changed it to the tegaderm on a huge, but shallow, patch, and kept the hydrocolloid on two smaller deeper ones

all healed fast without scarring, but the small scrapes that were just open or with plain sticking plasters took *much* longer to heal

sagefly

Sungod, thanks for that info, I'll head to Boots on the way home for the tegaderm.

Didn't think to get A&E to look at the grazing, had changed into my work clothes so they didnt see it.

Thanks again

tp2000

+1 for hydrocolloid

Had a pretty nasty fall at 48kph a month or so ago that took a huge chunk out of my upper thigh. Tried the dry approach to wound management and it was excruciating - worse than the actual fall. Kept splitting and if I left it open at night and the duvet came into contact with it then I stuck to it. A chat with a doctor friend of mine led me to either tegaderm or boots hydrocolloid dressings (there is a 3rd option that i can't recall but is cheaper and works well). The dry approach had me messing around for a week, the other approach had it nearly healed in a week.

Just make sure you have everything out first!!

Other things, work the edges of the wound to keep blood flow going, apparently reduces build up of scar tissue (not sure whether this is the scientific explanation - may be another case of me talking bollocks!)

Happy Healing.....

sagefly

Cheers TP ive got the S&N Melolin dressings that have to be taped on going to pick
up some tegaderm as they self adhere. difficult taping a dressing to you right side with a left hand and a mirror.

the skin will be fine the hand will have me out of action for 6-8 weeks that sucks.

rick_chasey

sagefly wrote:

Cheers TP ive got the S&N Melolin dressings that have to be taped on going to pick
up some tegaderm as they self adhere. difficult taping a dressing to you right side with a left hand and a mirror.

the skin will be fine the hand will have me out of action for 6-8 weeks that sucks.

Sucks eh?

My own experience of road rash - I just washed it out and put a load of savlon on it. No plasters, no coverage, no nothing.

But I figured people who know probably have better advice.

Hope you heal up soon!

JustinLeeAtkinson

I was taken out in the bunch at approx 30 mph 2 weeks ago. I used hydrocolloid which was good. But on the knee and elbow they were coming unstuck easily because of the constant movement. Still have huge scabs. But they are dry, dont have to be dressed, and dont weep.

I hadn't heard of the cling film stuff, but from the description above it sounds like it wouldn't have been right for my knee and elbow wounds.

sagefly

on a lighter note not sure about the post ride recovery drinks, had one after i got home from work yesterday and was surprised that i still had a broken hand and grazing when i woke up this morning