I Have Had This Open Wound For At Least Two

Posted on Fri, 22 Feb 2019

Question: I have had this open wound for at least two mo. now. I believe it started when i had eczema,( and i hope thats the way its spelled,) two or three mo. ago. it started on my arms, after it cleared up on my arms, it started on my right leg,down by the foot and up about six or seven inches and about a third around. I have seen two doctors , both internist at different mo. They both told me to put a good brand cream on it and wrap the leg. the creams had alcohol in them and it burnt ,so i would wipe that off and try other ointments and when i would wrap my leg it would feel nice and warm. The next day it would start burning really bad so i started pulling the hard crust off of my leg and it would get bloody , i would clean that up with bath room tissue and apply more ointment , re-wrap the leg and go to bed. The next day it would all start again. My question is this---- do you have any thoughts about what i should or could do for my leg, i'm worried i might get it infected but i don't stop either. would a hyperbaric unit help me . thank you for your time.

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Information

Detailed Answer:
Hello Ms. XXXXXXX

Regarding a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, those are used for problems such as gangrene, diabetes wounds, or skin damage after radiation treatment.

I would not jump to that type of treatment unless it is recommended by a dermatologist or surgeon who sees your wound in person and feels that is the best choice. There are more conventional treatments, depending on the nature of your wound and what other health problems you might have.

At this point, I don't have a clear picture off what might be going on with the leg. Have you been told that you have an infection there from the eczema? Do you have diabetes or blood sugar problems?

Since you have had the wound for 2 months, I urge you to go to a dermatologist or a doctor who specializes in wound care.

I see that you have a wound care center in the town you live (if I am right in that you live in XXXXXXX Texas):
XXXXXXX Regional Wound Care Center
520 E 6th St XXXXXXX TX 79761
(432) 550-1210

They offer both conventional wound care and hyperbaric oxygen treatment if it turns out that that is what you need.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana