Comment NEWSLETTER for more similar health information, and I'll send you a link to my free weekly newsletter 🗞️ 🦶🔩 Stepped on a nail that went through your shoe? Don’t ignore it! While many puncture wounds heal without problems, a nail that passes through a rubber-soled shoe can introduce bacteria such as Pseudomonas, which can occasionally lead to serious soft tissue infections or even bone infections (osteomyelitis). 👟🦠 🧼 First step: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and cover it with a clean dressing. 🏥 Next, get evaluated at an urgent care or emergency department, especially if the nail penetrated deeply, the wound is dirty, you’re diabetic, immunocompromised, or you’re having increasing pain, redness, swelling, drainage, or fever. Depending on the injury, you may need: ✅ X-rays to look for a retained foreign body or fracture ✅ Antibiotics if your healthcare provider feels they’re indicated (sometimes including those that cover Pseudomonas in shoe-related pu...