Many people can suffer very serious hand injuries due to home and work accidents. Op. Dr. Emre Kaya from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology explained what to do in hand injuries. Stating that even very simple injuries can cause nerve and tendon damage, Kaya said that applying tourniquets to severe bleeding is a big mistake.
Hand injuries can happen to many people. Especially accidents at workplaces can result in very serious hand injuries. In such cases, it is necessary to stay calm and make the first intervention. Op. Dr. Emre Kaya from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at Çakmak Erdem Hospital explained what to do in case of hand injuries both at home and at work.
Do not be deceived by the amount of blood
Stating that the amount of blood should not deceive the person, Kaya said, “In a small kitchen accident, only the tip of the knife can cause a very thin, hair-like nerve rupture and require surgery. While patients can recover in 10 days with a simple skin stitch in a very bleeding injury, they can have a very serious nerve surgery due to a very small, pinhole-like incision and receive treatment for 1 year.”
For this reason, hand injuries should not be taken lightly, Kaya said, “Even if the hand injuries are simple, even if there is no bleeding, when we examine ourselves, if there is loss of sensation, restriction of movement in small joints, we should definitely apply to a center with hand surgery. If there is loss of movement and numbness in the hand in a 1 cm incision that does not bleed, which looks like a simple injury, in injuries that the patient dresses at home, he should not think that 'it will pass later'. Interventions are very difficult in very late tendon and nerve injuries. Sometimes it is necessary to intervene twice. If there is a lot of bleeding, we should not be afraid. It is very unlikely to lose your hand due to blood loss in the hand,” he said.
Do not apply a tourniquet to a bleeding wound
Explaining the first intervention in hand injuries, Op. Dr. Emre Kaya used the following statements:
“First of all, pressure should be applied to the wound with a clean cloth or dressing material and the hand should be kept above the heart level so that bleeding does not increase due to the effect of gravity. Then we need to apply to the nearest neighborhood hospital. Or when there is a limb rupture, it is necessary to keep the limb cold and bring it to the hospital in a clean material.”
Referring to the mistakes made during first aid, Kaya stated that tourniquets should not be applied in case of bleeding and said, “I never recommend applying water, heat or tourniquet to the wound. They should apply pressure and keep the hand high and keep it high. Keeping the arm down leads to blood loss. There is a neurological blood pressure drop. If we make a tourniquet, there will be a nutritional problem in the limb. The blood stops at that moment, but then the blood supply of that area, which we call necrosis, deteriorates. That's why we should never panic. It is necessary to apply pressure on the wound and apply to the nearest health institution.”
Stating that severe injuries occur especially in work accidents, Kaya warned employees to use protective gloves. Stating that employees should have completed tetanus prophylaxis and hepatitis B vaccines, Kaya suggested that hospitals with hand surgery departments should be applied in such injuries.
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