Stuck by long-needle urchin - do I need to get the tip out?

[Mouse]

dig it out with a rusty dive knife, and stitch it up with sea weed. thats what id do, but im well ard, and a pirate, arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr me heartys.

anyways, you sure its not a blood blister, never seen poison come from an urchin, alltough i know there out there. Ive allways ended up snapping the thing off the urchin as soon as ive setpped on it, guess i was lucky.

 

[Anonymous]

Update. I decided to leave it (assuming that there is an "it") alone. Everything seems to be fine today. Just some very, very minor tenderness. If this changes, I swing by the doc. Thanks to all for the advice.

 

[tenshi]

Signs of Infection!

1 - Pain
2 - Increased Redness
3 - Swelling
4 - Elevated Temperature of self or digit
5 - Drainage or Pustule

Watch out and good luck!!

 

[Anonymous]

Soak in hot water and Epsom (unless it's actually an open wound) and that may help with the slight tenderness.

Tenshi has posted the warning signs, in order, so let's hope it doesn't progress beyond being a little bit sore. I don't want your finger to fall off or anything like that.

 

[ricky1414]

Would a type of "drawing salve" work? My grandmother used to put it on our fingers and such if we had splinters in them. It makes the foreign matter come back out to the surface. I don't even have the faintest how it actually works, but I do know that it does work.

 

[Anonymous]

I have no idea, but I'd sure like to know, too.

 

[Anonymous]

Would a type of "drawing salve" work? My grandmother used to put it on our fingers and such if we had splinters in them. It makes the foreign matter come back out to the surface. I don't even have the faintest how it actually works, but I do know that it does work.

I actually have a can of this

Watkins Petro Carbo salve

Its really for the udders of cows :lol:

I use it all the time, not only will it draw a splinter out overnight (of which I get plenty working in a wooden boat yard) but it also makes small scrapes and cuts heal faster

 

[ricky1414]

http://www.elydrugs.com/pages/prid.htm

 

[Anonymous]

I've been jabbed by urchins on several occasions and never had a spine break off inside the skin (mostly diadema sp. urchins). There are a few really nasty types that have a dangerous toxin but 99% of the ones I've encountered in this hobby have been harmless.

 

[dhess]

Not sure but think that flowerpot urchins have been responsible for several human fatalities.

 

[Anonymous]

Just to clarify, this was a long-spine urchin. I did not seek any medical attention. I have not suffered any ill effects since getting stuck last Thursday (other than a sore finger for day or so).