Be careful, this kind of wound can also cause disability

Mr. Wang was celebrating his birthday at home recently and wanted to drink some beer. When he opened the bottle, he used too much force and the iron bottle cap cut the skin on his finger about 1 cm long. He thought it was a minor problem, so he applied some mercurochrome, wrapped it with tape and called it a day. He then helped with the washing after dinner. When he fell asleep at night, he felt pain in his injured finger and found that the wound on his index finger was red and swollen. The pain intensified the next day, but Mr. Wang did not go to the hospital because he was busy with work. On the third day, due to severe pain in the wound, he finally went to the hospital. The doctor opened the tape and found that the wound was already secreting yellow liquid. He was given daily dressing changes and oral antibiotics, but the swelling and pain did not subside significantly. On the seventh day after the injury, the skin of the swollen distal finger turned purple. X-rays revealed bone destruction and necrotic bone formation in the distal phalanx. Despite active treatment, amputation surgery had to be performed two weeks after the injury due to skin necrosis at the distal phalanx and blood circulation disorder at the fingertips.

Hands have the most and most frequent contact with the outside world and are exposed to various potential dangers for a long time, making them more vulnerable to injury. The traumatized tissues can be skin, nerves, blood vessels, tendons, bones, etc., but it is usually a complex injury of multiple tissues. Hand injuries are very common and therefore easily neglected, leading to delays in treatment. Experts warn that a small skin cut, if not handled properly, can develop into a major disaster and leave lifelong disability.

When trauma occurs, two key points to correct treatment

Professor Gu Yudong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Department of Hand Surgery at Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, pointed out that after trauma, the correct method of stopping bleeding and preventing infection are two key points:

1. Stop bleeding. Generally, small wounds can stop bleeding by applying pressure. Just press the wound with a cotton ball or gauze (a clean handkerchief or toilet paper will also work) for a few minutes. For finger injuries with heavy bleeding, you should use your hand to press on the base of the injured finger to stop the bleeding. You can also tie the base of the finger with a rubber band and go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Remember: keep track of the time you stick the piercing at the base of your finger and relax it once an hour. Sticking the piercing too tightly for a long time will cause ischemia or even necrosis of the finger. In hand surgery, there are many cases where local tissue ischemia and necrosis or even finger amputation occurs due to the tourniquet being tied too tightly or for too long.

2. Prevent wound infection. Cleaning the wound is a key step in preventing infection. Academician Gu Yudong said that under the condition of controlling active bleeding, the wound should be rinsed with distilled water or mineral water to wash away pollutants in the wound and reduce contaminating microorganisms. If conditions do not permit, you can also use tap water to rinse the wound to minimize the number of bacteria on the wound. "When wounds crack and subcutaneous tissue is exposed, it is easy for microbial contamination and reproduction to occur, eventually causing wound infection and suppuration. Therefore, closing the wound is also the most important measure to prevent infection. The sooner the wound is closed, the less chance of infection. If the wound is large or there is a foreign object inserted, you should go to the hospital for treatment. The doctor will decide whether to inject TAT (tetanus antitoxin serum) based on the patient's specific situation." said Academician Gu Yudong.

It should be noted that after hand injury, everyone's skin healing period is similar and it will heal in about a week. However, if the wound becomes infected, people with low immunity may not heal for a long time or even develop ulcers. If the wound still has symptoms such as redness, swelling and stinging for more than 7 days and does not improve, you should consider whether the wound has been infected by pathogens and you should go to a regular hospital for medical treatment as soon as possible.

Several Misunderstandings in the Treatment of Hand Injuries

Hands are often stabbed or cut by sharp objects. It is urgent to treat the wound, but many people often fall into the misunderstanding of wound treatment.

Myth 1: Not bandaging the wound and letting it dry naturally will help it heal faster.

Wound healing requires a moist environment. If your finger is broken, it is best to cover the wound with gauze under the premise of strict disinfection, which will help quick healing.

Myth 2: Wounds are less likely to get infected if they are bandaged tightly.

When bandaging, leave some space, otherwise it will reduce the wound's chance of contact with oxygen and slow down wound healing. In addition, bandaging too tightly can restrict blood circulation.

Myth 3: When bleeding occurs, use styptic powder to stop the bleeding immediately ×

When treating wounds at home, try not to use hemostatic powder, otherwise it will irritate the wound and cover the wound surface, making it difficult for the doctor's diagnosis and "secondary treatment". It takes time to remove the hemostatic powder residue, and the patient will feel very painful. In fact, the first principle of stopping bleeding is to apply pressure on the wound until the bleeding stops.

Myth 4: Changing the dressing every day will help you get better faster.

As long as the wound is kept clean, there is no need to change the dressing every day. You can change the dressing every 3 days or so as instructed by the doctor. If you change it every day, it will damage the newly grown tissue and aggravate the formation of scars.

Myth 5: A yellow film grows on the healing wound, and it can be torn off by hand.

In fact, this thin film is new granulation tissue, which helps wound healing. Removing it will be counterproductive.