oboeguy

Here. A wheel touch one rider ahead, no way to avoid it. It's part of the game, so to speak. The bike is fine, nary a scratch. I've got Tegaderm on the left shoulder and elbow. Working on a second icepack on the back the left hip. I suck at applying Tegaderm so I'll have to re-apply a fresh patch later today (it's all wrinkly and not sticking too well). Should I apply it without any anti-biotic ointment underneath? Also, thinking about the future, what does one do about sunblock on road rash? (haven't seen suggestions in my quick survey of road rash threads)

DrPete 

Tegaderm is overrated for road rash.

This is what I do, and it's very similar to what I do for burn patients (road rash is, after all, a very similar injury to a partial thickness burn)-- silvadene or neosporin, followed by some type of non-stick gauze like Telfa, adaptic, or Xeroform (if you use Xeroform, no need for the antibiotic ointment). This puts down a layer that can pull off easily and keep things moist, but not soupy.

On top of the non-stick dressing du jour, I go with some type of fluffy gauze. This catches the drainage from the wound and keeps it away from the skin. Depending on the location you can tape this down or use an ACE wrap/kerlix gauze, whatever.

Works like a charm.

VegaVixen

What do you think of hydrocolloid bandages over road rash, Dr. Pete? Or is that just generic Tegaderm?

DrPete 

They're a little different from tegaderm, but for something as superficial as road rash I'd go with something more breathable. Just my opinion...

VegaVixen

Thanks, DP!

DrPete 

Do you have some road rash somewhere, VV, or is this a preemptive question? I hope it's the latter, especially now with your new bike!

I just had the first big crash on the Pinarello, and I tend to have those everything's-in-slow-motion moments when I crash. I remember me and my bike simultaneously in the air separate from each other, thinking "NNNOOOOOOOO!" (Insert slow-mo exclamation here).

We're both ok, though.

VegaVixen

No, I was asking with regard to polara426sh, since he crashed pretty hard just a few nights ago, dislocating his shoulder in the process. His road rash looks much more brutal in person than in the pics he posted on Foo.

Sorry to hear about your crash. But glad the bike is ok. And you, too. Natch.

oboeguy

What am I, chopped liver?

DrPete 

We did forget about you, didn't we?

Glad you're OK, really.

VegaVixen

Oboeguy, if I could come up there, I'd help ya get the Tegaderm on right! But since I can't, I'll just send some ((hugs)) your way. Oops, sorry! I mean gentle ((hugs)). <payin' careful attention to road rash and bruises>

Heh. I happen to live chopped liver.

San Rensho 

If its on your hip, put on panty hose, yes panty hose over all of the bandages to keep them in place so you can wear clothes over the bandages.

Last time I crashed, I had road rash on the hip also. I put pants on over the bandage and then sat in a movie for a couple of hours. The bandage had slid off, and the road rash got stuck to my pants, and bled through, leaving a bloody stain on my pants.

Panty hose work! Hey, we already shave out legs, why not pantyhose?

VegaVixen

Looked great on Joe Namath!

deskjockey

Panty hose on Joe Namath? I was thinking if it worked for J. Edgar Hoover...

Dr. Pete, do you or does anyone on this thread carry some bandages in your saddle bag? Maybe a big, square band aid/gauze thingy?

DrPete 

Personally, I don't. There's enough on me to use as a bandage in a pinch. If I rode in more remote places I'd probably bring stuff with me.

jsharr

+1 on silvadene if you can get it. It is great stuff. Soory to hear about your mishap Obeoguy, hope it all works out for you.

Dr.Pete, where does one get silvadene? I had some prescribed for me when I rope burned the palms of my hands when a spinaker got away from me on a race boat. The stuff was awesome. I could smell the flesh on my palms burning but soaked my hands in ice water until we got the silvadene and some bandages and my hands healed very quickly. I would love to keep some around the house if it has a decent shelf life.

oboeguy

Ah, much better. I used some Coveroll (sp?) to hold down fresh Tegaderm and now it's staying place.

FYI, only bruising on the arse and hips -- no rash there! My home keys ripped some holes in a pocket of my lovely Montauk Century '05 jersey, though. Doubt that will last too many washes.

DrPete 

I just googled "silver sulfadiazine" (the generic name) and a couple places came up, but I have no idea about any of them.

ratebeer

Oh man. How I remember that long expanded time in between realizing I was going down and actually hitting something. I actually felt like by then I was just sitting (flying?) around waiting for the situation to resolve.

Thanks for the silver sulfadiazine tip.

slvoid

SIlvadene is awesome, it also works inside the body when I had a chunk gouged out of my arm.
I didn't apply tegaderm until maybe 2 days after the accident cause the would always ozzes a lot initally so you end up having to replace it very frequently anyway. I use regular bandages and teflon pads to absorb the ooze and then a few days later, use tegaderm when I just want it covered for long periods of time to heal.

sam83

I ain't much for fancy book lernin, but...

My SO had a bad accident that included a broken collarbone and of course, rash.

I did the ole neosporin, non-stick gauze routine for a week before we discovered Tegaderm. The ritual was heinous.

We used Tegaderm and also a hydrocolloid bandage for the oozing wound on her hipbone (size of an egg down to the meat).

She did Cycle North Carolina 14 days after this crash wearing a figure 8, Tegaderm and a hydrocolloid bandage.

We're sold.

oboeguy

As soon as I saw I had some road rash I thought of the thread where you had the hole in, what, your leg? from the plastic bag on the Pulaski Bridge taking you down. I remember things like that. Weird, eh? (or did I compose 2-3 of your adventures in my mind?)

MTBLover

I think most drugstores carry it, but it's not OTC- you need a prescription.

DrPete 

^^^ Yeah, it's prescription-only at our hospital too...

slvoid

Lol that's the one... the hole was in my right arm.