What's wrong with alcohol/peroxide?
From the same source: "Avoid cleaning with Betadine®, Hibiciens®, alcohol, hyrdrogen peroxide, Dial® or other harsh soaps, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation."
This falls in line with what I learned in Wilderness First Aid, about a decade ago. Mild soap and water is all you need to clean a wound.
From the NYT: [link]
"researchers have found that hydrogen peroxide has little ability to reduce bacteria in wounds and can actually inflame healthy skin cells that surround a cut or a scrape, increasing the amount of time wounds take to heal."
Alcohol can damage tissue, impairing healing.
From merck.com: [link]
"Harsher agents, such as alcohol, iodine, and peroxide, are not recommended. These solutions can damage tissue, impairing the capacity to heal."
Those are the best cites I could find. Anyone else know anything?
OK, lady, I will accept that you don't know the program and that your computer is slow and that computers aren't your forte, but do not play the "hormonal old lady" card with me as an excuse. I'm 49 years old in one month, and I'm the one doing the tech support. I'd much rather deal with someone who isn't as technically apt as I than someone who's trying to blame it on the "Oh, this is so hard for my poor female brain."
And if you are having bad cramps and mood swings, etc., take the day off and have a lovely slounge in a hot tub.
Don't tell anyone, but New Guy has asked me to tell the boss that he comes in at 8 every morning. It remains to be seen what time he will actually come in. It wasn't 8 yesterday.
I should probably warm up my pinky from now.
New Guy has asked me to tell the boss that he comes in at 8 every morning
"You're asking me to lie for you? Why? What do you think I'm going to get out of it? Other than the pleasure of squeezing your little brain? SQUEE-EEZE!"
Last night our furnace stopped working, just shutting off right after it fires up. Since it was about 0 degrees last night (-17 for those using commie units) this was a big deal. The furnace was throwing an error code of 34, which indicates low gas pressure, bad sensor, and several other things.
Well, my wife had smelled gas in the front yard earlier so I went out and sniffed around the meter, and sure enough there's some leakiness there.
I called the gas company and someone came out pretty quick. He found the leak and tightened some stuff up and got it taken care of. Then we waited while we tried the furnace and it still didn't work right. So the dude comes in and fixes the furnace! It turned out to just be a dirty sensor (something I now know how to fix).
Best gas company service call ever.
OMTFG.
Oh my terrible fucking God?
Seriously?
"I'll be happy to let boss know when to start looking for you."
That does sound like a good result, Gud! Glad you didn't blow up and/or freeze to death.
Oh my terrible fucking God?
Total.
One more link - I hate to cite Reader's Digest, but this looks pretty good at a cursory glance: 7 First Aid Standbys You Should Avoid [link]
CUTS AND SCRAPES
Hydrogen Peroxide, Iodine, Rubbing Alcohol, Mercurochrome
When the skin isn't broken, it's hard to beat iodine for killing bacteria. That's why doctors use it to clean an area before surgery. But when there's a cut, says dermatologist Robert Kirsner, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology, full-strength iodine, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol can be toxic to skin cells, impeding healing. The chemical reaction (and bubbling) that occurs when hydrogen peroxide hits the skin isn't only cleaning the wound -- it's killing healthy cells. And that stinging from the rubbing alcohol? This stuff hurts because it's wiping out healthy tissue.
Putting iodine on cuts and wounds kills bacteria, says VanRooyen, but it won't clean the wound. "You want to protect the good tissue, and iodine doesn't do that." Mercurochrome also kills bacteria, but as the name suggests, it contains mercury, which is toxic, and not generally recognized as safe, says the FDA. Today, doctors don't use Mercurochrome.
Better Bet
Remarkably, cleansing a wound has become much simpler: "The most effective way to get rid of debris and bacteria without damaging healthy tissue is flushing the wound out with water," says VanRooyen. Put the wound under a faucet, or spray it with the nozzle on the kitchen sink. Flush it with water to clear it of all debris. If you are worried about the bandage sticking to the wound, consider using an antibacterial ointment that contains bacitracin or neomycin to keep the area lubricated.
I got WFA certified and read Where There Is No Doctor cover-to-cover before going into Peace Corps, in case you are wondering why I know this random stuff. Also got my nose pierced a few years ago, hence the piercing aftercare.
