Splinter in Foot - What Should I Do?

[Anonymous]

Pediatrician, CVS Minute Clinic, Emergency room, in home-remedy?

Help!

[Anonymous]

Try removing it at home.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070325171012AAORBCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try removing it at home.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070325171012AAORBCo

Enough "quotation marks" to choke a horse on that link but some interesting "advice" which I might try the next time my own DC gets a "splinter." (I especially liked the "idea" of using Oragel to numb the spot first.)

[Anonymous]

Suck it up. Pull the splinter already.

[Anonymous]

If the splinter is from treated lumber, you don't want to wait because it doesn't take long for infection to set in.

[Anonymous]

Do everything you can to get it out! I speak from experience as we thought we got the splinter out - but did not. My DS needed out patient surgery to have it removed.

After my experience, I was told that some putting a bunch of neosporin on it and a bandage will help draw it out. Just make sure you watch it daily to see where it is going.

I wish you success - and a whole lot less expenses than we had removing what I now call - the 4K splinter.

[Anonymous]

bathe the child to soak the skin... and DO IT.
if you have to have someone holding the child do so. DON'T WAIT and don't try to explain too much and don't worry about being nice or gentle.
squeeze it like you would do with a pimple and catch the tip with a tweezer - make sure the area is always wet - don't use ointment it will only make it slippery. use WATER. wash the area with soap and water before starting and don't rub it. soaking will make the skin thinner.
use a sanitized cloth pin to break the skin to catch the splinter if necessary. if your child has a deep sleep do it while they're sleep.

[Anonymous]

OMG - when my son got a splinter - I had flashbacks of my parents basically tackling me, holding me down, and stuggling to get a splinter out. I was able to push them both off. Karma got me back. My son was 18 months and it was a battle. But I did it. It it difficult, but I'd say probably easier to do at home (unless you need reenforcments).

Follow with hugs and kisses.

[Anonymous]

2 summers ago, I got a splinter in my foot from my wood deck. I couldn't get it out bc it was too hard to do myself. After a couple days, it stopped hurting and the redness went away and eventually a hard area developed over it that lasted for a couple months and now is completely gone. I am guessing it eventually worked its way out. So I guess I wouldn't freak out too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 summers ago, I got a splinter in my foot from my wood deck. I couldn't get it out bc it was too hard to do myself. After a couple days, it stopped hurting and the redness went away and eventually a hard area developed over it that lasted for a couple months and now is completely gone. I am guessing it eventually worked its way out. So I guess I wouldn't freak out too much.

you're doing a disservice.
you got lucky and most of the times such wounds get infected. a child will keep touching it and they will walk around outside with no shoes on make it easier to get an infection.
MOM PLEASE REMOVE IT ASAP!

[Anonymous]

My dad used to use a lighter to heat a pair of tweezers (to disinfect the tweezers) and then he would yank it out. Fortunately I was a trusting kid and it didn't hurt to much.

For splinters buried in the skin...soaking it is a good idea, then if needed see if you can use a needle to expose it then pull it out (but I've only done that on myself not on someone else...that would probably be hard for a child.

There are splinter kits out there....a camp I used to work at had them.

But yes...get it out as soon as possible and wash the area well.

[Anonymous]

PUMICE STONE!!! Worked like a charm on a stubborn splinter in my 18 month-old's foot. We let her soak in the tub and then when her feet were god and pruny, we just pumiced the splinter right out. She thought it was hysterical One of our dermatologist friends told us about this trick.

[Anonymous]

Really? The emergency room for a splinter? No wonder actually sick people have to wait so long to be seen there.

We use a needle -- easier to dig and allows more precision than tweezers. If you can't get it, wait a day -- most of the time they work their way to the surface in a day or two and you can get them without too much drama. Put a big glob of Neosporin on it and cover with a bandaid in the meantime.

[Anonymous]

Epsom Salts does a beautiful job of pushing the splinter out enough to be able to get it out with tweezers, needle, or a pumis stone. Read the directions on the box, it is also wonderful with ingrown toenails.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes a needle does a better job then tweezers. All you need is to get hold of the end of the splinter and pull it opposite direction it went in. Just hook it with a needle and gently pull.

I agree with the most of the posts here - you need to get it out asap. Other poster's experience about a body taking care of it, is a fair possibility, especially on a foot, but I'd say it less likely on a child.