Help ! Need advice about diving with a wounded toe ?

[Stéphaneeee]

Hello everybody, sorry to barge in like this without any presentation, will do.
I have a kind of emergency and desperatly need advice...
I arrived yesterday in Koh Lanta to dive for a week, been planing this for months, but two days ago visiting a cave in north of Thaïland, i fell and wounded a toe... i went to the hospital, where they cuted off the flaping skin.
The wound is not very big, doesen't hurt, but ther is no skin left to cover it (and superglue it). The nurse told me not to dive, but a guy i met in the cave, who is a navy diver, told me that i could cut a finger of a latex glove and superglue it to seal the wound from beening wet and infected (he told me to cut two finger and glue them at diffrent level of the toe, so if one open the other will still keep it safe from sea water.
I really need all the advice i can get, since this could get ugly...
I am stuck here in front on the sea, dying to go in, the DM is ok to try but he doesen't seem so confident... and he tells me the superglue will not hold (but its a cyanid stuff)
Any one have ever used this "technique" ?
Or have a miracle idea that would save my trip ?
This is so depressing... the whole purpose of this trip was to dive here, pass my advanced, which is half payed... and enjoy the great diving sites around this place.

I kinda feel like hanging myself to a coconut tree right now...

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

First -I'm not a doctor and don't know the extent of the injury. I would think the wound would need to breathe. Sealing it in latex does not sound right. I am always amazed at how fast cuts seem to heal when exposed to saltwater. For any medical questions related to diving, just call DAN....it's what they do....

Scuba Diving Medical Services — Decompression Illness — DAN | Divers Alert Network

Good luck.
Jay

 

[Stéphaneeee]

The latex seal is only for the time underwater, i am supposed to open it up once back to the shore.

I will call DAN first thing in the morning.

Thank you!

 

[Alastor]

I did, in Thailand, my wound was a cut in the calf about 10 cm horizontal by 6-8 mm deep.
I was in a Liveaboard and i didn't stop diving but observed the following procedure.
before each dive, I put a generous amount of antiseptic ointment to seal as much as possible the wound, then a large waterproof bandaid.
A special scotch tape over the bandaid to seal it with the skin, around the leg (we have two bones there, so there no problem with the blood circulation, and there is no reason to tighten.
A long legged wetsuit acted as retainer during the dive.
At the end of the dive, I rinsed the leg with fresh water, then cleaned the wound as much as possible, and I put abundant antiseptic liquid and mercurochrome, with a light cotton lint to keep it from contacting other things.
The same for every dive and the wound did not infected (but was always wet, so it did not healed very much during the week).
Now I have a little scar, but I think it is because I didn't stitch it to keep it clean after every dive.

Superglue is an option, but you have to remove it every dive, because you must keep the wound aseptic as much as possible. Probably, if ypu put a lot of ointment (like grease) and then cover the toe with the finger ypu can keep water from the wound during the dive. Use rigid boots if possible with a thick sock, in order to avoid dislodging the unguent kicking, or avoid to kick againts current (even mild).

Hoping you can have happy bubbles.

 

[Stéphaneeee]

I will try this and check after the first day.
Maybe i won't be needing the rope after all...

Thank you for the advice!

 

[Doug3483]

I sure would not sit on the bench, but, that's just me! Have a good time and keep it as clean as possible! Doug

 

[drl]

I don't know if these are available where you are, but I have found gel bandages that seal around a wound and are waterproof. They are usually marketed for blisters but I have used them for wounds such as you describe. They are meant to stay on for several days at a time. You have to follow the application instructions carefully to get a good seal but they work pretty well.
Good luck!

 

[CaptainCalamari]

If it's not bleeding and sore, you are ok to dive. Cover it, yes, you are trying to avoid further damage.

I put a gash in my calf muscle 2inches long when in Fiji 5 years ago, 9 stitches. Was back in the water in 72hrs. Doc just said cover it to stop it being knocked open again.

Put a nasty gash in my forehead 4 weeks ago right before a dive (slung my BCD on while my AL torch was attached, whack, won't do that again). Stopped the bleeding, put antiseptic on it, went diving. My head is still attached ok.

 

[dlofting]

If it's not bleeding and sore, you are ok to dive. Cover it, yes, you are trying to avoid further damage.

I put a gash in my calf muscle 2inches long when in Fiji 5 years ago, 9 stitches. Was back in the water in 72hrs. Doc just said cover it to stop it being knocked open again.

Put a nasty gash in my forehead 4 weeks ago right before a dive (slung my BCD on while my AL torch was attached, whack, won't do that again). Stopped the bleeding, put antiseptic on it, went diving. My head is still attached ok.

You do risk infection exposing an open wound to seawater, which does contain bacteria and other pathogenic organisms. This is why the nurse recommended you not dive and several posters have suggested ways to keep the wound dry and sterile. If you do go ahead and dive try to use one of the above methods to keep it as dry as possible and then definitely rinse with clean, fresh water and apply an antibiotic cream afterwards.

 

[wgw04024]

If you're in salt water, i would not give it a 2nd though and dive.

FYI, I slept in a holiday in last night...