OT: received mixed advice from Dr's

[Iott Family]

Ok, here's the situation. My Dd2 fell last week and cut her eye open just under the brow line. she got two very teeny stitches. The Dr. at the urgent care center that is attached to our peds medical building said to keep it dry, but covered with a band-aid and neosporin. She went back in today to have stitches removed at same place and the doctor who removed the stitches said we shouldnt have used anything on the site and to stop using neosporin that it hinders the healing process and causes more harm than good. So, here i am confused and wondering what Im supposed to do. I called my pediatrician and talked with the nurse who emailed our ped and she says neosporin is fine. We can use it or not. Yeah, I know....Doctors dont want to contradict each other and risk being sued BUT what do I do? What would you do? Any exerience with stitches on your kids in the facial region?

Thanks! I would really like to know what other parents would do!

 

[danielle916]

Ok, here's the situation. My Dd2 fell last week and cut her eye open just under the brow line. she got two very teeny stitches. The Dr. at the urgent care center that is attached to our peds medical building said to keep it dry, but covered with a band-aid and neosporin. She went back in today to have stitches removed at same place and the doctor who removed the stitches said we shouldnt have used anything on the site and to stop using neosporin that it hinders the healing process and causes more harm than good. So, here i am confused and wondering what Im supposed to do. I called my pediatrician and talked with the nurse who emailed our ped and she says neosporin is fine. We can use it or not. Yeah, I know....Doctors dont want to contradict each other and risk being sued BUT what do I do? What would you do? Any exerience with stitches on your kids in the facial region?

Thanks! I would really like to know what other parents would do!

honestly i am no dr. but i don't see anything wrong with bacatrine (sp?) or neosporin....but thats just MHO..........i've used them on cuts and such and never noticed anything wrong, my sister works for a dr., i will call her and ask her to ask her boss

 

[Frankiesmom]

My DS had to get stitches above his lip when he was 3, and we applied neosporin- to keep the area moist as it can itch when healing. But, my question to you since you have a girl- why wasn't she sent to a plastic surgeon @ the ER for her stitches? That would be my main concern esp with a girl and facial injuries. And I'm a nurse; and my ped suggested this for my DS; but being a boy I'm sure he'll have more boo-boos before he's all grown! LOL

 

[mla1977]

I had a biopsy done on my chip last year and was told to use bacitracin (which I have none of) and not neosporin (which I have tons of). don't know why though.

 

[CastleCreations]

We usually tell our patients to keep neosporin on it for a day or two, but then to let it heal for a few days. If it looks dry or is itching, then to reapply the neosporin. Sometimes keeping the area moist will hinder the healing, but not usually for stitches. Usually the doctor is worried about the neosporin desolving the stitches..but it sounds like you didn't get that type.

 

[Iott Family]

My DS had to get stitches above his lip when he was 3, and we applied neosporin- to keep the area moist as it can itch when healing. But, my question to you since you have a girl- why wasn't she sent to a plastic surgeon @ the ER for her stitches? That would be my main concern esp with a girl and facial injuries. And I'm a nurse; and my ped suggested this for my DS; but being a boy I'm sure he'll have more boo-boos before he's all grown! LOL

You know we are a little bit concerned about the scarring and i feel so superficial even thinking about that! It really is just a minor boo boo that took only two stitches in each corner of the laceration to bring it back together to heal. It looks big now but at two she is still tiny in her facial features and when she is five im sure it will be a faded memory only noticeable if you really look for it!
Now, to address the fact she is a girl with a scar. Lets just say she is #4 preceded by two very rough and tumble boys. She is no shrinking violet. As my mom says, she is a firecracker. This will not be her last scar, im sure!
I just wish we knew w/o a doubt the best way to manage this w/o all this mixed advice!

 

[iheartdisney]

My DS had to get stitches above his lip when he was 3, and we applied neosporin- to keep the area moist as it can itch when healing. But, my question to you since you have a girl- why wasn't she sent to a plastic surgeon @ the ER for her stitches? That would be my main concern esp with a girl and facial injuries. And I'm a nurse; and my ped suggested this for my DS; but being a boy I'm sure he'll have more boo-boos before he's all grown! LOL

ok, that is just wrong, and COMPLETELY OFFENSIVE. Last I checked, children of both genders deserve the same quality of care.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

Ok - sorry but what is neosporin? We have not got that here! When I come over I always buy some over the counter medicines to stock up - you always get better stuff in the states!!!

If it is good I may get some to bring home!!!!

Lx

 

[wildirishrose]

daughter fell cut her forehead right above her eyebrow, we did go to the plastic surgeon because the doctor suggested it and indicated they could use her eyebrow to mask the scar. We used neo or polysporin

 

[Alesia]

I had a biopsy done on my chip last year and was told to use bacitracin (which I have none of) and not neosporin (which I have tons of). don't know why though.

Many people (about 25%) will eventually develop an allergy to the antibiotic that is in neosporin but not in bacitracin.

 

[mla1977]

Whoops! Meant to say "chin"!

 

[Frankiesmom]

I didn't mean to offend anyone; I was just repeating the general consensus among ER healthcare professionals- boys are more likely to receive more stitches over a childhood than girls and facial injuries ARE more of a concern for girls due to concerns about their looks later in life.

 

[PlutoPony]

Frankiesmom - we heard the same thing 12 years ago when DS had 6 stitches above his eye. The ER doc was anxious to put the stitches in himself, and after waiting a couple hours for the plastic surgeon (to no avail) we went ahead and let him do it. He did a good job and there's a very very minimal scar now...

Did the doctors caution you to FAITHFULLY keep sunscreen on the new skin? Apparently "new" skin is especially sensitive to the sun and it's important to keep sunscreen on the spot for quite a while. At every ped appointment for a couple years after the stitches were out, the doctor brought up the sunscreen thing so they were pretty serious about that....

 

[Nina]

My 3y/o ds recently got stitches over his eyebrow. The ER doc told me to put neosporin on the cut 2 times a day until its healed. After that we put mederma (for scars) on it. And they also stressed the sunblock. They said the sun could cause it to scar even more.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

my mom just had surgery and was keeping her scar moist with neosporin...but when she spoke with the doctor, found it was too wet and not healing quickly because of being so moist. he suggested applying neosporin if it was itchy/ dry, or if she had gotten dirt, etc. near or on it, but otherwise let it heal on its' own.

 

[srwarden1928]

My mother used neosporin on a cut I had on my forehead when I was a baby some 40+ years ago.

I read somewhere that you do NOT use neosporin on something filthy like a cat bite because it is harmful, but something that has been cleaned well it promotes healing.

I am NOT trained medically, but am passing along some experience.

 

[tinkntraining]

When my dd was 1 1/2 (she's 12 now), she cut her eye exactly where your dd did. She received 3 little stitches (done in the ER, not by a plastic surgeon) was send home with neosporin and a bandaid. We kept the bandaid on it for the first 24 hours, then applied neosporin once or twice a day after that. Kept the wound as dry and clean as possible. She healed very well. The little scar (3 marks from the stitches), although still slightly visible, is really no big deal. Our local ER suggests neosporin for face wounds, so I would say it's fine to use it. Good luck

 

[tnkr_bell]

When my dd got stitches next to her aye 1 1/2 years ago the ER doc said no neosporin. When her Ped took the stitches out he said we could put some vitamin E oil and that would help minimize the scar and help it heal. So just another option for you.