average salinity of the red sea is 40 promille and it is most highest sea water salinity in the world, probably the very good antiseptic. i don't think there are many harmful bacterias that can live in water this salty water and in human flesh both. so if it is not painful too much for you, Toby, go on and kite. i've repeatedly kited in 6-8 promille salty water at my home spot with smaller cuts and bruises and i'm still walking. although it is always painful when wound is somewhere near the joints

Who the hell trains kitesurfing?

Sounds like you are past the initial steps bu I will just summarize for future readers...

Firstly, as many people have said you want to clean the wound really really well. If you are somewhere with poor municipal water spend the money to use bottled water or boil the tap water. If there is a lot of material try to get a syringe to force the water in there. Then dry it. You can put topical anti-biotic ointment around the wound but do not put it into the wound it will slow wound healing. Those ointments are toxic to live cells, the cells on the surface of your skin are actually dead. I think you said the wound is 2cm I am assuming that is the length of wound not the depth. A 2cm depth wound in the foot is pretty deep and big risk for infection since you can material down into the muscle/fascia where it has a nice little place to grow.

As for how to keep it clean while healing I think a lot depends on how dirty the wound was to begin with. For example bite wounds be they human, dog or cat are rarely sutured closed because they are so contaminated that you want any infection that is in there to be able to drain to the surface. If it can't drain it has a higher risk of getting really nasty. Your body has a system to fight infection and can usually take care of lots of things but if you tip the odds in favor of the bacteria your body can loose.

One of the concerns is that in many locations the waste water makes it way into the water and with it comes tons of bacteria waiting for new hosts. There are few bacteria that live primarily in the marine environment that cause skin/soft tissue infections and many do so only in immunocompromised hosts (read: people with underlying diseases). So the real concern is getting the wound dirty from the sewer run-off from the nearby city village, whatever.

On a personal note I spend lots of time digging shellfish barefoot using my feet to find them getting tens of cuts each time in a small clean coastal salt water pond in the US and have never even bother to clean most of the cuts. I cut my foot once in the LI sound near NYC on a boat propeller and got the nastiest infection.

Finally the actual advice:

1. Keeping the wound dry not only helps lessen risk of infection but will increase the speed at which it heals
2. If the wound was not dirty and was well cleaned and doesn't look infected
2a: use liquid bandage and glue it closed. Alternatively a more natural remedy is crazy glue.
2b: Use antibiotic ointment, place guaze then dry occlusive dressing, put a good plastic bag i.e. ziploc brand not a cheap shopping bag with a 1000 holes put your foot in and then tape the top closed and then use a booty. This is a bit more cumbersome as you'll have to change it every day.
3. Most traumatic wounds require updated tetanus booster unless you have been very diligent about keeping updated and have done so recently.

A picture of the wound would be helpful...

If you start to have fever, redness, swelling, pain, tan material draining from the wound or have any other concerns go see a doctor.


Steve M.D.

Disclaimer: This is general advice for small foot lacerations and not a specific treatment plan. I am not legally able to practice medicine in the country of Egypt.

I am a big fan of transparent waterproof dressings like these:
http://wound.smith-nephew.com/au/node.asp?NodeId=3432
http://wound.smith-nephew.com/au/node.asp?NodeId=3552
http://wound.smith-nephew.com/au/node.asp?NodeId=3573

There's other with the brand DuoDerm.

You clean the wound, put the dressing on and leave it on for a week. It creates a moist, sterile environment that promotes healing and tissue regeneration. You can see the flesh regenerating through the dressing.

I see a lot of you recomend antibiotics uncritically. Please see a doctor before using antibiotics. It is a very bad idea applying antibiotics to every little scrach you get. We are allready seeing multiresistant bacteria, we don't need more.

Such a small open wound that is - no longer - infected should need no special care. I kitesurfed daily without protection with a 6x3cm partial thickness skin loss (really open wound) over the Achilles tendon. It healed perfectly well in 2 weeks. I am a doctor as well, my reading has not revealed any clear benefit from local antibiotics and disinfectants in small open wounds. Same for bandages. Keep kiting Tony...

Disclaimer: ...at your own risk!