Helped Over 500,000 patients with 98%+ satisfaction.

Connect & Get Personalized 1-to-1 Answers from Expert Doctors

DoctorSpring > Question Home

Slammed my thumb in car, profuse bleeding with deep cut. Should I go to hospital?

Resolved Question:

I slammed my thumb in my car door today (it closed all the way) it bled pretty profusely, and the gash is deep but I don't have insurance so I am trying to avoid going in for stitches.The woman who helped treat me on the spot wrapped my thumb and hand in gauze and told me to keep it on for 24 hours to be sure it would clot. Then I could decide whether or not to make my way to a clinic for medical attention (since they aren't open today on Memorial Day!) or keep it clean and use butterfly bandages to keep it from separating on my own at home.My thumb is bruised pretty badly from the ordeal, but I'm worried the bandage might be too tight and that the color of the portion of my thumb I can see is not just from the bruise.Should I change the bandage even though it hasn't been 24 hours? And how bad is it to leave it for 24 hours if it is indeed too tight? It definitely feels better to have it stabilized, I probably broke some bone in there too.

Category: Community

Ask Your Own Question

Category: Family Physician-GP
 26 Doctors Online

Hello,

It's important you keep the wound clean as if it gets infected, infection can enter through blood into your system and lead to septicemia. Remove the bandage, wash with clean water first. If you can get sterilized water and wash it. Later wash it with butadiene or hydrogen peroxide. This will to an extent keep the area disinfected. After that place cotton, if you feel there is a particular vessel damaged, that is bleeding is occurring continuously, apply pressure on that area.

Following that, wind gauze around it. Keep the finger with bones I position, keep two scales against the dorsal and ventral plane and wind the gauze around it tightly. Try keeping in position as much as possible.

Visit a doctor as soon as you can as you definitely need suturing and reduction else your thumb can be deformed permanently.


Dr. John Monheit
Category: Family Physician-GP
Experience: 
Residecny: North Colorado Family Medicine
Medical School: The Chicago Medical Center
Dr. John Monheit and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

Users who read this, also read:

Make informed and better medical decisions.

Join the 500,000 people who found a smarter, quicker way to get Answers, Recommendations & Expert Opinions.

Expert Doctors at fingertips

Recommendation on next step. Second-opinion.Multi-specialty.

Save Time

Average time for answers: 6 hours.

Save Money

$35 for typical specialist consult vs. $120 for a local appointment.

Free Follow-ups

Clarify, ask further questions for free in private conversation.

100% Satisfaction

Money back guarantee for the 1st reply. MEDNET Quality Board.

Start My Consultation

CHAT NOW

About DoctorSpring.com

Doctor Spring is a novel online Doctor consultation platform where you can get your medical questions answered by leading Doctors. Just Submit your question and rest assured that you will consult a Doctor easily. Once you submit the question, the Doctor from the concerned specialty will reply within hours. You can always ask more questions or add details with follow-up question options and make it an online doctor chat. You may use this service to consult a specialty or for getting medical second opinion. All paid services come with a MEDNET quality assurance and 100% money back guarantee.

DoctorSpring in news