Cycling UK Forum

Yesterday the other cyclist in the house hit the deck and had severe gravel rash on one forearm, elbows and knee. My first aid treatment was to clean with water, slap on sudocreme, crepe bandage on the big one a gauze on the others. As an after thought how do other treat gravel rash?
This was a forty year old who was sure he could go down the road with more style than my nine year old grandson. One nil to the grandson.

Forgot to say it was on a micro scooter not best suited when stocky and over 6 foot. One dented ego and a sleepless night.

NHS advice
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cuts-and-grazes/

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NB that specifically recommends against the use of antiseptic: "as it may damage the skin and slow healing". There'll be some evidence behind that somewhere but I can't find it. (There's lots of evidence for surgical wounds and a fair bit for chronic wounds.)

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I''ve walked and cycled a fair bit with a very experienced trauma surgeon. The first time I saw how he handled these i was quite surprised. I picked crud out and then washed. He picked crud out and then lightly scrubbed as he washed, the intention being better removal of foreign matter both to reduce the chance of infection and improve the final appearance. He knows more than I do.

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Jonathan

Oops, wrong treatment but I will get a range of dry dressings in case I come across it again.

For abrasions our *touring kit contains a hypodermic needle for picking crud out and a range of clever dressings of various sizes for that crucial dryness. If you can't get the area as clean as you'd like on the road it is worth having another go when you're back somewhere where you can.

Jonathan

* And for closure some Steristrips.

I’m a B.C. ride leader. We have to be first aid qualified. Gravel rash is one of the things I’ve had to deal with more than anything else. Basically, as was said above, get the crud out, use no lotions or potions, cover the graze with a dry dressing and secure with a bandage. If you’re back at base, warm soapy water helps with cleaning the graze.

Re getting the crud out. I used to carry plastic saline capsules bought from the optician. They had a twist-off top that produced a narrow opening ideal for squirting clean wounds.I must get some more.

Yes, still available.

It probably doesn't matter whether you use clean water or clean saline or sterile saline.

Jonathan

When I worked as a toolroom machinist the treatment for grinding/dirt particles in broken skin was to use a nail brush to scrub it clean

An old timer told me that the approved method involved carbolic soap and the scrubbing brush also used for the door step. Shrieking was not allowed.

I once( back in the early 90) had to attend A&E with severe gravel rash on one knee ( following advice of the nurse next door). The treatment was fairly standard as I was a mild case compared to unprotected motor bike riders. The A&E nurse applied a large dollop of antiseptic/local anaesthetic gel and then after a 10 minute pause proceeded to vigorously scrub my knee with a scrubbing brush not too similar to that you'd use to scrub a kitchen floor. I was fascinated by what was done, but some of the trainee nurses called in to watch went a bit green and left the room. I do remember a copious amount of pinky/red foam being generated and the scrubbing wasn't gentle( the kitchen floor probably got off easier).

Yes , "picking out the crud" as someone prosaically put it is the key.
If you don't , the skin will grow over it and fester.
Had and experience when a teenager, sideways down the road off a fixed for what seemed like miles.
Casualty, the softest spoken Irish nurse says 'this will hurt but we have to do it'
Affected area scrubbed with a disinfectant solution and a very stiff scrubbing brush
. Head, shoulder, forearm, knee and calf ( and my outfit in tatters too)
More painful than when I cut the end off my finger with a circular saw (not deliberately I might add) !

9494arnold wrote:If you don't , the skin will grow over it and fester.

I still have a blue scar just below my knee from a childhood bike fall. Clearly my immune system or whatever was strong enough to fight off any infection.
I have heard that miners often have such blue scars, from coal left in wounds.

Our family experience, raising 4 cycling boys, is that once the wound is down to bare clean flesh covering it with Calendula cream (Marigold) gave the quickest and least scabbing healing.
Hypercal cream, a mixture of Marigold and Hypericum, is almost as good and contains a local pain killer if needed.

I still have some gravel in an elbow from a childhood spill on a steep unpaved road.

Mike Sales wrote:I have heard that miners often have such blue scars, from coal left in wounds.

Certainly did. And "buttons" in the skin over each vertebra.

Many Sherlock Holmes stories start with his trick of telling people about themselves by observation. A fair number of the signs being occupational wear and tear on their bodies.

Jonathan