The fingers were swollen and purple

Finger pinching is a relatively common occurrence and is an injury that many people have experienced. If the fingers are pressed severely, they are likely to develop swelling and purple color. When these symptoms appear again, you need to take certain measures to care for your hands in time, otherwise the injury will become more and more serious. Next, I will introduce to you how to deal with crushed fingers!

1. Cold compress

In case of crush injury of the finger, subungual hematoma may be seen, which is black-purple in color. It may also be an open injury or even a phalangeal fracture. The injured part should be immediately cooled with cold water or ice to reduce bleeding and relieve pain; hot compress can be used in the later stage to promote the absorption of blood stasis. The accumulated blood in the nails should be discharged in time, which can not only relieve pain but also reduce infection to preserve the nails.

2. Emergency Treatment

Some crush injuries may result in the amputation of fingers (for example, when holding onto a door, window or car door frame, the door, window, etc. are forcefully closed, causing the finger to be amputated). While providing emergency treatment and stopping bleeding and bandaging the injured, the severed finger should be wrapped with a clean cloth and sent to the hospital along with the injured person for treatment and finger replantation surgery. Never discard the bloody severed finger, and do not wash the severed finger with water or soak it in any disinfectant.

3. Cold compress followed by hot compress

In the early stage, you can apply cold compress with cold water or ice packs (put ice cubes in a plastic bag). If local hematoma is formed (commonly subungual hematoma), you can apply cold compress for 2 to 3 days and then change to hot compress. When the tension on the fingertips increases, you should highly suspect the possibility of phalanx fracture and go to the hospital for an X-ray. If the skin is ruptured after squeezing the fingers, this type of squeezing injury is more serious and you should go to the hospital's surgical department for diagnosis and treatment after bandaging with clean gauze. Most of these injuries require debridement and suturing. Intramuscular injection of tetanus antitoxin (TAT) and anti-infective treatment.

4. Seek medical treatment promptly

If purple bruises or swelling appear, or if finger movement becomes difficult, the finger may be fractured. Go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time to prevent the injured finger from becoming necrotic due to excessive local pressure. For nail stripping and open fractures after squeezing, bandage the injured limb with a clean dressing or handkerchief, and then suspend it in front of the chest with a triangular bandage. This will help relieve pain and stop bleeding, and then send the patient to the hospital for treatment immediately.