How to treat puncture wound, after the fact?

Getting a tetnus shot. Is usually free from any doctor’s office. I got one this recently for free.

I vote doctor, sooner not later.

Your brother sounds like a punk.

I don’t know about treating your wounds, but there are treatments for your brother that you should probably consider.

Wow, things have really escalated in the ‘brother-vs-brother’ wars.

“Back in the day”, I think the worst thing my older brother ever did was to sit on my chest, and while holding my arms down with his knees, let saliva fall from his mouth, then suck it back up just before it dropped onto my face.

No, wait….he once double-poked me in the eyes, like Moe used to do to the other Stooges.

Still, I’d take that over the “pen-stabbing” thing.

Anyway, definitely….......go see a doctor (and you might want to look into some professional help for your brother as well…..)

How deeply did he stab you? I doubt that it was deep enough to be much concerned. For myself, I wouldn’t do much beyond washing – thoroughly! – then bandaging and watching. If swelling or puffing presents, or increasing soreness or – especially – red streaking under the skin and toward the body, then I’d see a doctor, stat. But I’ve had a number of relatively minor puncture wounds of this type that I have successfully ignored.

On the other hand, if you haven’t had a tetanus booster shot in the past ten years or so, then it would be wise to get that anyway, with or without the injury.

Apparently, when he was taught to not hit girls, he assumed stabbing was an acceptable substitute.
Did you provoke the attack?
How old is this fellow, anyway?

Did you tell your parents what your brother did?
The puncture wound will heal, but I’m afraid your brother will need help.

He is 12. No, I did not provoke it. My parents aren’t going to take me to the doctor. I do have a red streak under the skin, though.

Drink plenty of water. Good hydration is always beneficial to your body’s ability to protect itself. If redness gets worse, advances, press your parents about seeing a doctor.

My advice regarding your brother, duct tape.

To expound on @Patty_Melt ‘s suggestions, remember this as you go through life:

Always (and I mean ALWAYS) be sure to have three things on hand…..

Duct tape…..baking soda…...and white vinegar…..

(sage advice at no charge to you, my young friend….)

Try rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. If it doesn’t get better, get your folks to get you to a doc, like it or not. I poked my finger with a rusty nail a while back, doctored it with hydrogen peroxide, no problem. It finally went away with no ill effect. And I haven’t had a tetanus shot in years.

@SergeantQueen Are you up to date on your tetanus shots? Your description about not healing? IMHO you should see the doctor.

Soap and water

Keep it clean

This is not cinema, it is the real world.

Assuming you have had a tetanus shot (although what’s the chances a pen has been near tetanus? Pretty low) I would initially wash it, dab of alcohol, and then after that put some antibacterial ointment and a bandaid. Daily, wash it with gentle soap, and then ointment and a bandaids again.

The problem with puncture wounds is they often don’t bleed much (which is why the tetanus concern is high) and the healing and clotting cells aren’t there scanning it over like you are used to seeing on cuts and scrapes.

You can’t treat a puncture would before the fact! Just sayin’.

Just keep it clean and keep an eye on it. Thorough cleaning should be enough to prevent infection.

@JLeslie The last couple of times I had stitches my doc said to leave it covered that day, but uncover it after that and not to use any antibiotics, just wash it when I took a shower. They healed up just fine.
If it starts getting red and swollen, time to go in.

I’m guessing you’re doctor isn’t a dermatologist or a cosmetic surgeon. The antibiotic isn’t so important after the first day. Ointment/Vaseline will help reduce scarring, but if it’s stitched really well there is little scaring anyway, unless you have dark skin, then it’s more tricky.

A puncture should heal very fast. Not likely to scar. But, a couple of days of being cautious won’t hurt.

It had happened about 2 days prior to me asking the question. I had said it wasn’t healing because there was stuff still coming off on the bandaid I had put on. I put on new band-aids every few hours.

Two days isn’t much time to heal. So how is it today?

It is scabbing. I still have the red streak.

If the red streak does not get longer, you should be okay.

If it starts swelling and gets warm, that’s a bad sign too.

The scabbing is nature’s bandage. Don’t pick at it. Hey! We need pictures!

I, personally, wouldn’t worry about it, but then, I don’t worry about much. I’ve patched up more bleeding wounds, some that should have had stitches, even, but didn’t. Never lost a kid.
When he was 3 my grandson jumped off the back of the couch once. It was pulled away from the wall at the moment. I had pulled the air register out of the floor and it was lying up side down. He came down on the blade in his bare feet. Sliced a big flap of skin. I carefully washed it, then carefully moved the flap over where it had come, and bandaged it all up snugly. I made him wear white socks that had been washed in hot water and bleach, for about a week. Checked it every day. It healed just fine.

Red streak?! Red streak along the skin? Not from a scratch, but growing from the wounded area? Is it tender? Painful? Growing?

I think you should get it checked by a doctor ASAP. Red streaks are a sign of serious infection. I don’t know for sure what you are describing, but “red steak” is a description used for blood poisoning.

It’s small. Not painful. Parents won’t take me to doctor.

It’s gotten slightly longer than it originally was, but not by much. It hasn’t faded or gone away.

You know your parents, and I don’t.
Is it possible for you to go to a hospital alone? If you do, they would contact your parents, but you would be there and be seen.

With that line advancing, I feel concern for your safety.

Get a pen and put a line where the red ends so you can easily tell if it gets longer.

I can talk to my sister.

No pain, no fever, it’s probably ok, but we can’t diagnose you obviously.

Would you please send us a picture?