Pencil Wound - Open to All Other Health Topics Message Board

iannjen · 08-04-2007, 05:16 PM

Hi just looking for some advice,

earlier this evening my 7 year old jumped up and stabbed himself on the forehead with a pencil (the type with the metal end and the sticks of lead). It made quite a deep hole which did bleed but the lead broke off and I can only assume that it is stuck under the skin, there is a definate black bit but I know that could be a trace left by the lead on the way out. It is a little swollen. We have tried pulling the skin apart to see if the lead would come to the surface without success. So I have washed it with an antibacterial wipe and put a plaster over it, the kind that sucks out splinters.

If it is not out in the morning should I take him to A&E, no doctors open on sunday, or should I wait until Monday? The pencil was new, only bought a couple of days ago but will a tetanus be necessary? Any advice appreciated.

reachout · 08-05-2007, 06:28 AM

Hi

Sorry the boy got hurt. Boing! Right in the forehead, too!

Please... pencils in our country are not made with lead anymore. I believe what you are thinking is lead is actually graphite. I am older...55... and we used lead pencils in our schooldays. However, when all the information and studies became available about the dangers of lead, pencils in this country were no longer made with it and graphite has been substituted.

Of course take Son to the doctor on Monday if you can not get the splinter out. The doctor can surely help with that. Something you can try at home is Black Salve. It is an old fashioned over-the-counter salve that is used to draw out splinters. It stinks! Apply it to the area and within a few hours it draws out the particle. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of it, but it sure works. I used it on my own children over the years to get out splinters of various matter. No sting, just smell. Very icky to apply. The pharmacist should know exactly what it is called.

Good wishes
reachout

adamace1 · 08-05-2007, 10:24 AM

Reach out are you sure and do you know around what year they stoped using lead?

BlueAtlas · 08-05-2007, 12:01 PM

Reachout is absolutely correct. We still call it lead, but pencils in the US no longer have lead, they have graphite. Don't worry about tetanus. That comes from things like rusty metal. Infection would be a concern, though. If you can't find the smelly stuff Reachout mentioned, you can also try hot compresses (not too hot, you don't want to burn him!). They'll help soften and loosen the skin so it will be easier to get a small particle out. That's how I've always gotten my kids splinters out. Put a little antibiotic on afterwards.

Glad he missed his eye!

Take care,
Emily

iannjen · 08-05-2007, 02:43 PM

Thanks very much for taking time to answer my post. I took the bull by the horns and called the 24 hour NHS helpline early this morning and they were very helpful (although the nurse I spoke with wasn't sure about the lead/graphite thing - but I know lead hasn't been used in pencils for years). Anyway they said to take him to A&E where they tried without success to get it out. It just doesn't want to leave him. So now he has a poltis (some sort of sticky white stuff) on it until tomorrow morning when I will have to take him down to GP so the nurse can get it out and clean out the wound. Apparently even the tiniest trace of pencil left under the skin will leave a "tattoo" which will never fade.

I'm lucky 'coz he took it really well, even hoping they might cut it out so he could have a scar a la Harry Potter, only tinier of course. So here's hoping that it will be gone by this time tomorrow and thanks again.