Road rash - the fixing and making betterer of

Thanks @ElGonzo used my wife’s probe account to order done tegaderm patches.

I might check my current before bed probably less than an hour away after last nights poor sleep. If bad, I might pop to Lewisham Hospital UCC see if I can get seen.

I’ve gone for 15x10cm so should be ample. Think I’ll trial @JamesQGM methodology.
Any further tips or learnings?

Any further tips or learnings?

If in about a year from now it gets incredibly itchy, then opens back up and spits a lump of gravel out it means you hadn't got all the gravel out.

I just had this happen to my arm. It’s been itchy for a few days and lo and behold a bit of a scratch and out it popped!

They have a walk in gp type service in hospitals, I've used the one at guys in London bridge in the past and it was relatively quick. Search for urgent care centre, sure there will be others around if that's not close

+1.

Up here (Glasgow) there's a 'Minor Injuries' unit in one of the hospitals near me that doesn't have an A&E. Ambulances don't go there and probably more importantly, neither do the police (I've sat in the A&E at another hospital waiting for hours while the popo march folk in and out constantly).

Do put my Tegaderm dressing on last night. Slept much better as it slides rather than catches whilst you sleep and move.
It’s looking pretty soaked on the absorbent patch so might replace today.
Do I want to replace regularly or try increase the periods between replacing?

FWIW at the start I tend to clean the wound with iodine as it makes it dry out more (as well as being a disinfectant). In the shower I'd cover with clingfilm taped down with micropore to stop all the scabbing getting wet and coming off. It's a hard one to judge but I generally try to increase time out of the dressing where the wound can breathe and dry out/scab over properly. But obviously do what's best for your particualr situation.

I used to swear by Savlon iodine dry spray but they’ve stopped selling it for some reason!?

Oh my days, I had no idea this was a thread... My absolute favourite topic! (I've had more than my fair share over the years...) Had two really, really big crashes and a couple of smaller ones at HHV. My scar collection is really quite something. Here's what I've learned from nurses over the years.

In my experience, hydrocolloid dressings are crap on larger/deeper patches. The goo has nowhere to go and you end up having to replace the dressing every 2 days, which, at damn near a fiver a pop is a bit rich. Also, had a big bit on my hip, and took 3 weeks to heal with those on. That was expensive as I was a starving artist at the time.

You need to treat them like a burn, so you need a mesh contact layer, then a low adhesive asborbent pad on top which you can replace as it gets gunked up, while keeping the same contact layer in place. The mesh works wonders as it pretty much turns the scabs from one big one into hundreds of tiny ones, which all heal individually.

This is the good shit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mepitel-ME290500-Silicone-Contact-Technology/dp/B075RCRDDB

This is the more affordable shit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atrauman-Tulle-7-5-10cm-Dressing/dp/B07ZQHWZPV

Then tape some of these on top with surgical tape: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Value-Aid-Adherent-Dressing-Pads/dp/B07K7M256G

And finally, if it's to a leg or arm, get a tubular bandage over the top of it. You can buy individual ones at most pharmacies, but they'll get icky and you'll have to replace them often, so best to buy a roll of the stuff.

Finally, you can buy all of this stuff, or (pre-covid, at least) you can book a nurse's appointment at your GP and they'll give it all to you for free.

Dressings were off from the attached picture in 10 days (snapped a chain at 50kph in a team pursuit, and used my leg as a brake. Welt on the top of my foot is from where the track ripped my shoe off!)

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For road rash that's not too deep cavillon barrier film is excellent. I normally wear a tegaderm/opsite dressing first and then whack some cavillon on. Reapply every 24 hours or when needed. You can layer it as well and will protect from water ingress to a point. Like spray on skin.