You have been treated for a Leg Wound. You have been thoroughly examined and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following will aid your recovery.
Care Instructions for Pretibial Flap Lacerations
This is the name given to skin wounds over the shin. The skin is very thin here and the blood supply to the wound may not be very good.
Please tell us:
- if you take steroids (eg, prednisolone) or Warfarin
- if you are diabetic
- if you have had a clot in your leg (DVT).
as we may need to treat your wound differently.
This wound means that:
- Surgical adhesive tapes (wound closure strips) are used, rather than sutures (stitches), as these are the best way to close the skin in this area
- The wound may be slow to heal. It may take more than 10 weeks
- We occasionally offer to review this type of wound to check for infection and make sure the wound continues to heal. If you think you will have difficulty getting to the Emergency Unit, please tell one of the staff before you leave.
You can help the wound to heal by following these instructions.
The First Two Days
Do
- avoid prolonged standing for first 48 hours
- keep the leg elevated on the arm of the sofa or on cushions (on a footstool is not enough!)
- avoid cooking, washing dishes or ironing
- only walk to and from the bathroom, bed and sofa.
Do not
- leave the house (unless in an emergency).
Elevation means:
- your ankle is higher than your knee-cap
- your knee-cap is higher than your hips.
While you are resting
- Move your toes, ankle and knee hourly for at least a minute, to reduce the risk of blood clotting in your leg (thrombosis or DVT).
An easy way to do this is:
- Trace out the letters of the alphabet with your big toe. Do this every hour. It is one way of checking that you have exercised your calf muscles for at least a minute.
Until your Wound has Healed
- Keep your leg elevated, especially at night. Ask someone to raise the bottom-end of your mattress. Use a drawer, box or something similar under the mattress at the foot of the bed, rather than just resting on pillows. This reduces swelling and the likelihood of infection
- Keep your leg dry and warm, cover legs with a light rug whilst on the sofa.
A poor diet will delay wound healing!
- Eat more fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of fluids. Consider multi-vitamins daily until the wound has healed. If you are not able to eat a well-balanced diet this is not essential.
- Diabetics should be aware that the change in activity may make your blood sugar harder to control.
- Giving up cigarettes speeds up the healing of your wound. It improves the circulation to your wound and it can make a difference within 48 hours of stopping smoking.
Signs which suggest infection
- Increasing pain that doesn’t settle with elevation, especially if it wakens you during the night.
- Redness spreading up your leg
- Fever or flu-like symptoms
- Pus or smelly fluid coming from the wound.
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If you are worried that your wound is becoming infected, contact the Emergency Unit on:
(029) 2074 8025
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