Pin Site Care
Pin Site Care For The External Fixator
- Pin site care should be done two times daily unless otherwise specified by your doctor.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before beginning.
- Gather all materials you will need -- Hydrogen Peroxide, cotton-tip applicators and gauze pads.
- Remove old dressings and dispose of them properly.
- Wash hands again.
- Look closely at each pin site.
- Use on cotton-tip applicator per pin site and clean around each site using a circular motion.
- Push the skin down around the pin site as it has a tendency to "creep up."
- Work hard to remove all crusting and dried drainage.
- Clean up and dispose of all of the used supplies.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
Watch for signs of infection
- Temperature over 100°
- Thick white, yellow, or green drainage
- Redness, warmth, or swelling at the pin site
- Bad smell from the pin site
- Severe pain at the pin site
Most pin tract infections can be taken care of with an oral antibiotic. Call us at 205-638-9146 if these signs develop.
