Resolved question:
Hi There...
I was bit by a dog (part Siberian husky/German shepherd) on Saturday November 23rd... while I was at the emergency there was no doctor so I took pictures of my wounds. I will add them to my file. The injury happened in the evening. The stiches all fell out before I was to have them removed. As you can see from the one picture.. am not sure as to what it is but it is hanging out of my hand..well the doctor just pushed it back into place.. am not sure if it was a nerve or not.. on Friday the 29 I went back to the emerge because my wrist was hurting quite a lot and I have no feeling in two of my fingers on the hand that had the big cut and I still cannot close that hand because of swelling. Xrays were taken and I was told nothing was broken and that I could go back to work. Well I was to return to work on Wednesday the 4th of December.. I work at a gas station pumping gas.. so today I went to the store to try and find gloves for our nasty weather.. well upon trying four pairs of gloves on.. my wrist completely swelled up and I still am having a hard time moving it and well I didn't bother to try and put a glove on the hand that had the cut because it is continually leaking. I went back to the emerge tonight ( Dec 2 ) because I am still having a hard time with my hand.. it is numb and painful as in my hand and wrist... the doctor just looked at me said he was giving me a note to be off work until Monday the 9th...I don't know where to turn anymore...Thanks in Advance.. Nicole
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for asking your query at DoctorSpring.
Sorry to hear about your injury.
I would like to know more about the numbness. Is it present all over the hand ? Or only on particular fingers (like the ring and little finger ?) . Are you able to move all the fingers ?
The injury seems to bit deep. What is visible is most likely not a nerve. It is a soft tissue sheath, which is of not big concern. From the picture the wound appears clean (or rather cleaned). The pain and swelling is due to the odema secondary to the injury. An infection is also possible. I assume you are taking antibiotics now.
Since the swelling is increasing you might need a change of antibiotics + a drainage (after evaluation). Keep the arm rested in a slightly raised position.
You can reply as a followup
Thank you
Hi...
The numbness is on the ring and little finger. I am able to move the fingers but it just doesn't feel right..the fingers feel very tight..sometimes when I put my arm down to rest against something..when I push down to hard on the wrist or even with my hand..I feel like a shock just above my little and ring finger..you can see the muscle tighten right up on the hand...I was never given any antibiotics at all. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do about my right hand..due to the big lump I have a hard time bending the hand..the swelling had gone down quite a bit..until I tried gloves on and it swelled right back up. Thank You For Your Time..
Nicole
Hello Nicole,
For now you should rest your hand (avoid all outdoor activities ). Absolute rest. Keep the arm elevated even while sleeping using a pillow. Avoid gloves or any tight fitting materials. I would actually recommend getting in touch with your Doctor.
The symptoms in the ring and little finger is suggestive of "Ulnar nerve" damage / compression. While this is most likely due to the odema (swelling) than the original injury it should be looked into. Persistent pressure can cause nerve damage.
Discuss the possibilty of ulnar nerve involvement with your Doctor. Also you should enquire whether you need an antibiotic cover. I would generally prefer an antibiotic cover since you had an animal bite.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups
Thank you