I managed to stab the palm of my hand yesterday with a small kitchen knife whilst trying to remove the stone from an avocado. It made quite a deep wound and it bled a lot. I thought my GP practice would assess it but when I phoned they immediately directed me to A & E. The hospital checked the wound, cleaned and dressed it, and then bandaged my arm. I was told to keep the arm elevated for a few hours. I told them I have T2. I'd expected to need a tetanus jab but was told this wasn't necessary. I expected to be advised to check the wound daily because of the risk of infection but I was told to keep the bandage in place for 5 days. Does anyone have experience of managing this type of injury and is there any further advice it would be useful to have?
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Looking after a hand wound
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Copepod
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Current advice is that a course of 5 tetanus immunisations (usually completed at around 16 years of age) gives lifetime protection. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/pages/introduction.aspx#vaccination
Assuming the wound was well cleaned in A&E, there should be no infection. Keeping it covered keeps external infection sources away from wound. However, if it feels hot or painful then you should seek advice.
Assuming the wound was well cleaned in A&E, there should be no infection. Keeping it covered keeps external infection sources away from wound. However, if it feels hot or painful then you should seek advice.
Pumper_Sue
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As a child you probably had the vaccination so don't worry about it. It's not as if you were out in the garden digging up spuds or working on a farm so no chance of germs getting into the wound. As my Mum used to say after an injury,you will live to fight another day.
Sounds as if you were given good care and advice by A&E which Copepod as indorsed 🙂
Flower
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Hello Buzz and welcome
I'm currently nursing four wounds with stitches on my palm- from surgery not avocados ! I'm keeping the wounds dry, keeping blood sugar as tight as possible and elevating my hand to limit swelling. It is a worry when you can't see the wounds due to dressings and bandages but as Copepod says keep vigilant for redness, painful itchiness indicating infection and seek help if anything changes.
I hope your hand mends quickly and without problem.
I'm currently nursing four wounds with stitches on my palm- from surgery not avocados ! I'm keeping the wounds dry, keeping blood sugar as tight as possible and elevating my hand to limit swelling. It is a worry when you can't see the wounds due to dressings and bandages but as Copepod says keep vigilant for redness, painful itchiness indicating infection and seek help if anything changes.
I hope your hand mends quickly and without problem.
Robin
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On the avocado front, I usually ease out the stone with a teaspoon - much safer, (I'm prone to slicing myself with knives instead of the food) although there is a certain satisfaction about stabbing the stone with a knife and hoiking it out, which I do miss.
Thank you
DeusXM
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The only other advice aside from the good stuff you've been given is to keep doing what you should be doing anyway - keeping your blood sugar under control as much as possible. Healing rates slow down with higher blood sugars, so keep in the normal range to heal quickly.
I used to do it the safe way with a dessert spoon but then starting using a small knife, but have learned my lesson!
Robin
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That used to be the case, but the last time I asked, my GP said no, only every 20 yrs.
Copepod
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Please see the NHS link I gave in the 2nd post in this thread. After 5 tetanus immunisations, there is no need for any more.
Perhaps this topic is a good example of how some out of date medical "facts", not just those concerning diabetes, continue to be believed for years more.
Perhaps this topic is a good example of how some out of date medical "facts", not just those concerning diabetes, continue to be believed for years more.
Robin
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Yes, but that link says you need one if its longer than 10 years since your 5th dose, if you're going abroad to somewhere with limited medical facilities, which tends to raise a doubt in people's minds whether the five doses are really adequate. (We were certainly redone before we went to Romania, when our surgery nurse checked the foreign office advice at the time).
Hence the perpetration of the 10 year rule in people's minds.
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