Re: [at-l] Blister care

["W F Thorneloe, MD" <thornel@ibm.net>]

The nurse is correct. My comments were based on watching others pick at the 
blister, or wait until it had sloughed off. Ideally, a clean needle is 
used. Finding one in the woods can be hard, unless you have thought out 
your first aid/repair kit well. I like to carry a needle pre-threaded with 
silk thread. Repairs backpacks and lacerations in a pinch. It stays put 
stuck to the first turn of my duct tape roll.

However, I would prefer to leave the blister covered with skin intact. It 
is sterile. Resting the extremity with the blister and allowing friction 
and irritation to subside will let the bleb subside.

OrangeBug

At 07:51 PM 9/14/1999 -0400, S2ndChnce@aol.com wrote:
>However, when i get the blister bubble, i'll use a needle to pierce the side
>of the bubble. This then drains the fluid out and leaves most of the "bubble
>skin" intact over the rawer under skin. Very important since the best
>protection against infection is your own intact skin. I'd rather have a small
>hole in the side to drain the fluid than have the whole top of the bubble
>sloughed off.

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