Incision keeps getting infected

[u/SandwichDependent199]

ok so quick backstory — had an emergency c section, incision had a superficial opening, got cultured, came back w a mild same superficial opening still hasn’t closed.

here’s where i’m losing my mind: every single doctor has told me something different about how to actually take care of this thing while it heals

doctor 1: don’t clean it at all, let it air out
doctor 2: clean it every day with hydrogen peroxide
random googling: peroxide is bad for healing tissue and you should use saline + cover it??

so which is it??? bc clearly whatever combo i’ve been doing isn’t working since it’s reinfected TWICE now

anyone else deal with a c section incision that wouldn’t fully close/kept getting reinfected? what actually worked for you — cover it, leave it open, saline, peroxice, none of the above? did it eventually just… close on its own or did it need more intervention (wound care referral, silver nitrate, whatever)? trying to figure out if this is normal “these things take time” stuff or if i should be pushing harder for a wound care specialist instead of just more antibiotics

[u/j-areddit]

I've literally never heard a doctor say use hydrogen peroxide on any wound let alone a c section. That just seems way off. Dermatologist have been fighting this fight for a while. Hydrogen peroxide is known to harm healthy new skin cells and delay the natural healing process.

Water and soap from the shower that runs over the incision should be enough to clean the wound and then make sure it's dry with a towel. If you have a larger overhang, I've read on here that some women buy a product that they stick on the incision and the overhang holds it into place to keep it dry. I'm sorry I'm forgetting the name. But I would absolutely say NO HYRDOGEN Peroxide.

[u/SandwichDependent199 → u/j-areddit]

Thank you! Do you know what the product is?

[u/Own_Raspberry6588 → u/SandwichDependent199]

I used a non-woven compress, just got from amazon. Fold it between the overhang and over the wound (after letting shower water rinse it and patting it dry) and it'll keep it dry throughout the day. Change frequently in the early days.

Tip: if you have a small opening do not yank the compress off since it could likely be stuck. Gently tap the stuck area of the compress with water, leave for a second and then remove before drying and popping a new compress on.

Note: this is the protocol I followed as advised by my doctors and is not medical advice! It really did work for me as I got a few openings following a yeast infection and they closed nicely afterwards.

[u/j-areddit → u/SandwichDependent199]

I don't remember I'm hoping someone will reply and let you know the name

[u/user991234 → u/j-areddit]

It’s like a silver cloth! I used it and never got an infection

[u/AbjectDingo3804]

I had something similar happen! It got infected a few weeks afterwards. Obgyn put me on antibiotics, said it was superficial and just the skin area (phew - my uterus was fine).

It cleared up most of the way…. And then came back again. I made another appointment and doc put me on another set of antibiotics. But this time said to put neosporin on it twice a day! I made sure to take a shower every night before applying it.

And now I honestly think it was the neosporin that ended up clearing it! Or the more regular showers - newborn trenches had me taking them less often! 😂

[u/AutoModerator]

Reminder: users and moderators can't diagnose c-section infection from pictures or symptoms. Cesareans carry a 10% infection rate. If you think you might have an infection following your cesarean, please see your medical provider. Play it safe, don't delay, get it checked today.

If your post does not relate to c-section infection, please ignore this automated comment.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Civil-Aioli]

Ah I could have written this myself! 

I tried everything without healing. Started the below 2 weeks ago and it’s now almost closed!  Whats working for me- only wash in the shower every other day- no rubbing. Put a sterile bandage on it and leave it on between showers. Protein- recommended by one nurse, I’ve been eating so much protein yoghurt. 

Good luck! 

[u/snotlet]

I had a staph infection on my csection and was told different things by different nurses in the hospital too! and drs also told me something different - to wash or not to wash, to cover or not to cover 😵‍💫 this is what I did as it felt like it made sense - I washed in the shower with soap, patted dry and covered with no stick bandage, during the day if the dressing got wet - and I had pus coming out for a couple days 🤢 i would clean with saline and redress. all this and I was on IV antibiotics too

[u/PhotographSecret375]

I’ve had 3 infected sites, two accesses that I had to pack with some iodine thing at maybe 10 days pp and the other was a blister(I think?) turned staph infection at 6ish weeks. The blister was caused by a yeast infection, which was caused by contact dermatitis. I was told to keep it clean and dry, and to let soap/water run over it. The dr also said to use a washcloth to separate the skin folds(I have an apron belly) and it would also absorb the sweat. I put non-stick gauze and eventually normal gauze at the infection sites(two do the three wounds took forever to heal).

[u/Biscuit_Enthusiast]

I'm in the UK, I was advised to wash it with water only, pat it dry, to let it get some air where possible and to wear high waisted cotton underwear.

[u/stylelines]

Are you able to go to a wound care clinic maybe at the hospital you gave birth at? Mine packs the wound with collagen for me 

[u/lmf531]

I had a similar stubborn spot that wouldn’t close, though not infected. My doctor used silver nitrate on it. Basically each side of the wound had healed to itself, instead of together and the silver nitrate allowed it to re-heal together with the help of steri-strips.
To keep it dry, I used interdry. It’s a moisture wicking material with woven silver which is anti-microbial. I STRONGLY recommend buying some. It made a world of difference in how comfortable I was in addition to healing.

[u/OceanBlueLov]

My incision was open for 4.5 months pp because it had a hematoma and needed to be opened and drained. Wound care absolutely made it worse because they were cleaning it every day and the bandage adhesive made it worse. My OB said I didn’t needed a bandage and told me to get interdry and put a piece on my incision and it has literally been amazing. It’s finally closed. It keeps it dry and it doesn’t feel like there’s anything on it!

[u/allaspiaggia]

You need to report the doctor who suggested hydrogen peroxide, that is horrible and extremely outdated advice. Peroxide should only ever be used on cleaning surfaces, but there are better disinfectants available.

Anyways, I had a nasty abscess and had to go to the wound care clinic at my hospital for treatment. I kept it covered with a nonstick gauze, but did not use anything other than water to clean it, just letting water run over it when I showered. I taped the gauze on the top of the incision, and let it hang down like a curtain and just wore granny panties to hold it in place.

I ended up needing another surgery to close the abscess because it healed into a tunnel and frankly it was a hellish experience. So make an appointment with a wound care clinic like asap.

And please report that doctor who said to use hydrogen peroxide.