Cuts, Scrapes, and Breaks
What about cuts and infections? Despite the old myth that any cut or break is a crisis for a person with diabetes, you really can deal with them for the most part in a calm and almost nondiabetes manner.
Cuts and Scrapes
It is true that you need to be extra careful with cuts, particularly on your child's feet, but the perception that foot infection is a huge risk is really only for people whose diabetes is out of control for an extended period. Still, it's best to be aggressive in both avoiding and treating cuts, particularly on the feet. Treat a scrape or cut with a topical antibiotic and cover it. Watch it closely.
Alert!
As much as you want your child to be barefoot and carefree, encourage him to be sandal-footed and carefree instead. Avoiding scrapes, splinters, and other cuts on the bottom of the feet is the best defense against possible infections.
If a scrape or cut hangs around for a while, don't let it bother you. But if redness begins to show around the cut or spreads out from it, call your pediatrician. Your child may have developed an infection that requires antibiotics. As always, when in doubt, err on the side of caution. A phone call and a quick look by a doctor won't hurt and may be well worth the effort.
Breaks
Breaks are breaks, but the trauma may cause your child's blood sugars to act erratically. The healing body works hard and can use insulin at a quicker pace. As always in unusual situations, check your child's blood sugars more often and watch him closely.
If you do head to the doctor with a suspected broken bone, be sure to bring plenty of diabetes supplies, including extra sites and/or syringes, insulin, test strips, and ketone testing materials, just in case he is admitted to the hospital or worse, needs surgery.
If you are in a crisis, call a friend and ask her to run to your house and pick up your emergency pack. How to stock a sick day cabinet is presented later in the chapter.
There is no evidence that breaks heal more slowly for a person with diabetes. Expect your child's healing time to be the same as any child's. Check in with your medical team and let them know what has happened. Ask them if they want you to take any special precautions during the healing time, such as more frequent blood checks or daily ketone checks.
