Gardening can be dangerous, Angélique had a bad experience with it. At the beginning of July, she pulls out weeds in the middle of her rose bushes. While trying to get rid of scariole lettuce – a wild plant with small white thorns – this manager of a dog boarding school injured her thumb. A tiny sting that will have serious consequences.
60 stitches and a long rehabilitation
In the following days, tingling appears, before the pain increases and spreads to the wrist. On Sunday July 26, the pain became unbearable. Emergency admitted to Amboise hospital, she underwent surgery for a generalized hand infection.
Results: around sixty stitches and a long rehabilitation by physiotherapy to hope to regain his mobility. The pathogen could not be identified, the use of antibiotics having distorted the analyses.
But the doctors’ findings are clear: a few more days without treatment and amputation was inevitable.
Why can a simple garden bite become seriously infected?
Faced with this impressive news story, it is legitimate to wonder if certain plants represent a mortal danger. However, the plant itself is not directly involved.
“A small thorn prick is usually not serious, but rarely it can inoculate germs and cause a deep infection of the hand“, explains Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical, consulted on the subject. “The danger is not, in itself, the scariole lettuce or the thorn: a wound, even tiny, constitutes an entry point. Earth, plants, thorns, stagnant water or dirty tools can transport bacteria and sometimes fungi”.
And in the event of infection, the consequences are more or less serious.
What are the infectious risks linked to plant wounds?
When a germ penetrates the skin barrier, the infection can take several forms, from the most superficial to the most severe:
- Local skin infection: characterized by redness, heat, swelling and sometimes pus;
- Infectious cellulitis: inflammation that spreads around the wound and can progress quickly;
- The abscess: a pocket of pus that forms in the tissues and often requires medical drainage;
- Infectious tenosynovitis: the infection affects the tendon sheaths of the hand. This is an absolute surgical emergency where the fingers become swollen and extremely painful to mobilize;
- Deep bacterial infections:
affecting the joints, bones or soft tissues, they require surgery, intravenous antibiotics and heavy rehabilitation; - Fungal infections: more rarely, soil fungi can cause a chronic, slowly progressing infection, particularly in immunocompromised people.
“Tetanus is different: it is not a local infection of the hand, but a serious neurological disease linked to a bacterial toxin present in the environment. says Dr. Kierzek. “A wound soiled by soil must therefore also be checked to ensure that the tetanus vaccination is up to date.
Redness, pain, swelling: what signs should alert you?
After a garden bite, certain symptoms should lead you to consult a doctor without delay.
You should seek medical attention quickly if you notice intense or disproportionate pain compared to the size of the wound, spreading redness, marked swelling or discharge of pus.
The presence of a red line running up the arm, fever, chills or severe fatigue are also warning signs.
Finally, any difficulty in bending or straightening a finger, diffuse “sausage” swelling, or loss of sensitivity and bluing of a finger require urgent medical advice.
“Hand pain that progresses after a plant wound should not be ‘monitored for several days’“, insists our expert. “The hand has many tendons, sheaths, nerves and closed spaces: an infection can quickly gain ground and compromise mobility and function if it is not treated early enough.”
The essential reflexes for gardening safely
To prevent a moment in the vegetable garden from turning into a nightmare, a few simple preventive measures are necessary before handling soil or plants.
- Equip yourself correctly: wear sturdy, puncture-resistant gloves that cover up to the wrists, closed-toe shoes and long pants;
- Check your vaccines: check your tetanus vaccination reminders (25, 45, 65 years old, then every 10 years);
- Be extra vigilant in areas at risk: be particularly careful if you suffer from diabetes, reduced sensitivity in the extremities or if you are taking immunosuppressive treatment;
And in the event of an accidental cut or sting, apply first aid immediately;
- Gently remove any visible superficial fragments with clean forceps, without digging into the flesh;
- Wash the injured area thoroughly with soap and water;
- Apply a suitable antiseptic and cover with a clean dressing;
- Monitor the wound carefully for 24 to 48 hours;
- Consult immediately in case of doubt, increasing pain or encrusted foreign body.
By respecting these cleaning and monitoring rules, you will drastically limit the risks of bacterial complications and will be able to continue to enjoy your garden with complete peace of mind.