What he said. A few years ago I was doing some yard work and got a splinter in my left index finger. Later in the day I noticed it and picked it out. My finger was slightly swollen but I didn't pay much attention. That night I woke up with a 103d fever, and my entire left arm was swollen with discolored veins visible under the skin. Kind of scary, really. It was treated with antibiotics and pain killers.