CUTS: Thoughts and Questions

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
OUCH!: I received a BAD one Monday night. I changed to a less-restrictive bandage tonight so now I can type OK. I was loosening the tightening screw on my Gatco System when the knob broke off and drove my hand into the point of my freshly-sharpened knife. It entered the big meaty heal of my hand at the base of my thumb. The cut was about an inch long and I think about an inch deep. It bled like a quickly dripping water faucet. I closed it reasonably easily with compression. The outside is closing and starting to heal OK - in fact I can touch and press a bit on the flesh without any pain but the inside hurts a lot if I move it too much or strain it so it makes me wonder if I hit a bone or something.

STITCHES: I wonder if I should've gotten stitches? How do you decide? I hate sitting in an emergency room so I'm not likely to go for stitches if at all possible. There's been a few times where I've wondered if I should get them but I never do. When should you really go get stitches? (And don't tell me it lessens scars because I have scars from stitches and some major cuts that left no scar.)

QUEEZY: If I can't close and cover a wound I get within less than 10 minutes (5 min is better) I start to really get queezy. This time I even got queezy and light-headed the next morning when I was only changing the bandage. I actually had to sit down on the toilet and take a break twice so I didn't throw up or pass out. I'm not like that at ALL with OTHER people's wounds and I really wish I could control it when working on my own. It's actually a little shameful and embarrassing thing that I learned about myself a year ago when I got that bad cut at work that I needed help with.

BUTTERFLIES: Maybe I should try to find Butterflies to equip my first aid kit with. I've never seen them in the grocery store. Are they easily found? Someone at work helped me (because I was getting queezy) by applying butterflies one time. Great results!

NASAL SPRAY: A forum member on BF (Gollnick, I think) suggested nasal spray to stop bleeding. I've had mixed results. From my experience it does, indeed, stop bleeding fast but also causes wounds to heal significantly slower and is a bit more likely to leave you with a scar.

BANDAGES: The 3M Nexcare bandages are fantastic! They really stick and stay for as long as you like and they're really comfortable and some come in fancy colors. The various "liquid bandage" products are ok for limited uses - difficult places; but only for minor cuts.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

ALCOHOL: No, I don't mean rubbing alcohol... I mean the kind you drink. I drink frequently and half the cuts I receive, I believe, alcohol contributed to me receiving them and MIGHT have been avoided if I hadn't been drinking. I was drinking when the knob broke off my Gatco sharpener. Would it have been different if I wasn't? I don't know, but maybe. I'll probably keep doing it but I gotta warn others that alcohol and knives don't mix. But MOST OF ALL, there is another thing...
Alcohol thins your blood and makes it MUCH harder to stop bleeding. There's been a few times when it's been extra tough for me to close a cut and stop the bleeding because of the alcohol content in my blood, just so you know and aren't surprised when it happens.

CONCLUSION: I wish I didn't cut myself as often as I do. BUT, as often as I handle and 'play' with knives, ODDS are that I'm going to cut myself sometimes. I don't have a problem with that but each time teaches me something and I get a bit more careful. Also, it has a lot to do with me REALLY LEARNING how to sharpen a knife to unbelievably sharp a year ago. I get deep cuts now that would've barely broke the skin two years ago when I didn't know what sharp was. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't sharpen my knives so sharp but than I think, "NAAAAAAAHHHH"! : )

Still, I'd like someone to give me the rundown of when someone should go get stitches and when they're not neccessary.

Happy healing.
 
What helps for me is to follow a strict routine when sharpening/ handling my knives. If you follow it for long enough you don't even think about it. I imagine that this is standard for gun enthusiasts. It certainly is standard practice for me at work (ICU Nurse). I agree though that knives and alcohol don't mix. Try weed, you'll be so paranoid you'll be extra careful (only kidding)!
 
I was loosening the tightening screw on my Gatco System when the knob broke off and drove my hand into the point of my freshly-sharpened knife. It entered the big meaty heal of my hand at the base of my thumb
Click to expand...

Another reason you should now get a Sharpmaker

I wonder if I should've gotten stitches? How do you decide?
Click to expand...

If I can bend it, then I am good to go!! The bleeding will stop someday and I got pleanty of blood

Alcohol thins your blood and makes it MUCH harder to stop bleeding.
Click to expand...

Hey bro, thinning the blood is a plus, think of your heart and drink more!! :D
 
same thing happens with aspirin, or so i've been told
anyway, i third that, alcohol and knives, not a good mix
 
An inch long and deep cut is nothing to sneeze at. It would probably be a good idea to go to the hospital, if not a doctor at least. My cut is nowhere near as bad as your's. I was told Neosporin, Batadine, Sterile Strips, Liquid Bandage, Honey, and spit would fix it right up. Have done just about all of them and am healing up quick and fine. Your's might require stitches and some TLC. The ache and pain you are feeling is from the trauma to the tissue. My world - welcome to it. I went through the same thing and couldn't bend my finger for about four to five days for fear of opening the sucker up again. It is almost all healed up now. Yay! Good luck to you.
 
Weed?;) Nah, but thanks anyway.

I might have to get the Sharpmaker just because so many people talk about it even though I'm totally happy with my system.

But back to cuts...
 
Fulloflead you are too funny! LMAO! :) :D :D :D :)

It never fails, when I lose my focus and stop respecting the edge...wammo! A brush across the flesh from a razor sharp edge and I am bleeding like a stuck hog! Usually it happens after hours of fondling dozens of knives and I am putting them away. One will jump up and bite me.:D Bleeding is always good for most men anyway...reduces our iron. Bleed on!
 
Betadine, like Rubbing alcohol, is NOT suggested for deep wounds like that, as it's not meant for "internal use(and it gets internal quickly with a deep puncture wound.
Or so I've been told by various RNs, MDs, EMTs, etc. I still use 'em both. :)
 
One of the best thing you can do for a cut, especially a deep puncture (assuming you haven't severed a major artery), is to let it bleed for a minute. That way you are flushing out some of the junk that was on the cutting instrument and lessening your chance of infection....
 
This is turning into a great thread and I'm glad I started it. Lots of good replys and info and suggestions.:)

I just want to remind everyone about my main real question:
When do you go get stitches and when do you not?
 
Personally I think stitches are overrated. Just let it bleed then tape it up snug and it should heal ok. Butterflys are good too! ;)
 
Originally posted by DEA
same thing happens with aspirin, or so i've been told
anyway, i third that, alcohol and knives, not a good mix
Click to expand...

Not to mention alcohol thins out the blood which makes it harder to stop the bleeding(...this is why you shouldn't go drinking before getting a tattoo).

If you cut your fingers on the palm side, it's a good idea to go to the ER. This happened to me, and I applied first aid...got the bleeding stopped, etc. It healed nicely. You can barely see the scar. One problem though, the last joint of the finger doesn't bend anymore. Yep, a cut tendon.

Cut first aid items that I use:

90% rubbing alcohol(kills germs surrounding wound)
Neosporin(helps prevent infections)
Waterproof/sports bandaids(doesn't fall off in one hour)
Tissue or paper towels(stops the bleeding)
Soap and warm water(cleans wound)
 
Wow :(.., well first of all I'm sorry you were cut badly, but I have to say a few things here that shouldn't be ignored.

There seems to be some sort of pride that goes along with getting CUT.., and that really bothers me from time to time on the Forums. Also.., I'm not talking about your comments about your injury fulloflead.., I'm talking about the reactions that seem common on many Forums (not just here).

We do know.., that as knife enthusiasts we will get cut once in a while, but cuts like you described are not something to fool around with at all. This is not picking on your situation.., and in fact, it's a good thing that you posted it. Let me just say a few things about this sort of boo-boo.., and obviously it will be taken for what's it worth (or not).

Originally posted by fulloflead
It entered the big meaty heal of my hand at the base of my thumb. The cut was about an inch long and I think about an inch deep. It bled like a quickly dripping water faucet. I closed it reasonably easily with compression.
Click to expand...

Very normal. You cut into a veritable miniature plumbing system with many vessels present..., and if the depth of the wound was even close to one inch.., then medical attention should be sought without reservation. Half that depth, even with "chubby hands", makes contact with bone and/or tendons inevitable, and my advice to anyone would be to seek professional attention immediately. Have absolute trust you do not want a bone infection (it only takes a nick), and only a trained individual can ensure that the wound is cleaned as it should be to avoid this!! <~~ I can't possibly emphasize that enough.
Originally posted by fulloflead
STITCHES: I wonder if I should've gotten stitches? How do you decide? I hate sitting in an emergency room so I'm not likely to go for stitches if at all possible. There's been a few times where I've wondered if I should get them but I never do. When should you really go get stitches?
Click to expand...

It has already been stated the "Stitches are over rated".., and no matter how much I ramble there is no way I could disagree more. "Stitches".., in-and-of-themselves.., are not the panacea to esthetics or healing, but they do come with many peripheral benefits.

The "Cut" you described, in the location you received it, can be very serious.., and needs to be cleaned professionally. Can you survive this sort of cut without serious consequence???? Sure you can.., and obviously it happens all the time using compression.., blood-loss reduction techniques, and over-the-counter remedies that are vaso-constrictors (such as "Afrin" nasal spray as you mentioned).

Is it worth rolling the dice on a cut like you got? Compressing the wound until coagulation begins.., slapping some unsteralized form of "Super-Glue" on it.., or any of the other "quick-fix" remedies people come up with? In my opinion..., No. When I was a "kid".., I stuffed anything and everything into any cut/wound and thought that was just fine, but it is important to realize you take an unmeasurable risk doing that. How big is that risk??? If I had "pure facts" to state, I would state them. Sadly.., I don't.., and I will be the first to step up to the plate and say I haven't always done what I should have after having a serious laceration or stab-type wound. I was lucky....End of Story..., and I've seen fingers removed, and multiply complicated ailments result from taking the "Macho" route and mirroring bad decisions I made trying to save a buck, or just avoiding the pain-in-the-ass of sitting in an Emergency Room. I work, and do research at UCLA's Medical Center in West Los Angeles.., and the reality of ignoring common sense in dealing with wounds we know intuitively should have professional attention is simply not smart ~~~> at all.
Originally posted by fulloflead
BUTTERFLIES: Maybe I should try to find Butterflies to equip my first aid kit with. I've never seen them in the grocery store. Are they easily found?
Click to expand...

Everyone should keep some "Butterfly-Type" bandages around in my opinion.., and you can see and evaluate just about all there is:

-HERE-.
Originally posted by fulloflead
NASAL SPRAY: A forum member on BF (Gollnick, I think) suggested nasal spray to stop bleeding. I've had mixed results. From my experience it does, indeed, stop bleeding fast but also causes wounds to heal significantly slower and is a bit more likely to leave you with a scar.
Click to expand...

Yes.., Chuck Gollnick has mentioned this if I remember correctly, but has also warned that folks need to know (a)...what they are allergic too.., and (b).., take consideration of how serious the wound is.

There are many people that are allergic to Nasal Sprays.., and also Neosporin.., both commonly recommended by all that participate here. When we participate on this (or any Forum), respond as if all cuts are just something "Real Men" put up with.., or should do the "Suck-it-Up" thing, that is really irresponsible...(although I understand no one means to do that).
Originally posted by fulloflead
LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

ALCOHOL: No, I don't mean rubbing alcohol... I mean the kind you drink. I drink frequently and half the cuts I receive, I believe, alcohol contributed to me receiving them and MIGHT have been avoided if I hadn't been drinking. I was drinking when the knob broke off my Gatco sharpener. Would it have been different if I wasn't? I don't know, but maybe.
Click to expand...

Me either..., but "maybe"..., is better than your current wound.
Originally posted by fulloflead
CONCLUSION: Still, I'd like someone to give me the rundown of when someone should go get stitches and when they're not neccessary.
Click to expand...

Sure.., 30 years of working in a Medical Center.., and my answer is easy. Most wounds can be dealt with passing on the stitches if treated professionally. You are concentrating on "stitches".., and the real concern is the initial cleaning of the wound.

When you use "Home-Baked" remedies.., you truly "Roll-the-Dice".., especially with the injury you suffered, which was obviously not the normal "cut" we all get regularly. Professional medical attention should be sought in any case where you don't feel totally adequate to thoroughly clean the effected area. When the depth of the wound is significant (as with your injury)..., it's simply a "no-brainer".., and the preliminary procedures involved in Emergency Medicine would optimize a positive result.

Edited to add:

It was late last evening when I posted this, but I wanted to say one more thing pertaining to wounds we know intuitively should be treated by professional medical folks.

Many times I've heard Super-Glue mentioned as a "fixer".., on this, and other Forums. On a deep wound, this is not a bright move. First of all Super-Glue is not sterile, and the form of fast-drying subastance they use in ER's (such as "Derma-Bond").., is a prescription medication, not something you buy in a hardware store.

If you are using Super-Glue as a means of stopping significant bleeding from a deep cut, you must also consider that you are sealing in the bacteria introduced by the injury, unless you have the background and training to clean the wound yourself before applying this type of substance.

Like anyone, I'd use any form of intervention to stop-the-bleeding on a serious wound, but this should be followed immediately by appropriate medical care. Remember, that when we use "home-baked" rememdies, it is generally true that we introduce more unwanted bacteria to the wound, even if we have done a good job of cleaning it.

I emphasize these facts not to be "The Voice of Doom".., or some paranoid freak, but it is truly senseless to risk serious infection when it is easily avoidable.

It is actually amazing how many amputations result from fairly minor injuries that are simply not cared for properly, or allowed to become seriously infected before seeking some help.

Not worth it.... :( -End Rant- :)
 
Coincidence you did it whilst sharpening. The last time I can remember cutting myself with a knife whilst using it was about 25 years ago, then again about every six months I seem to give myself a nice cut whilst sharpening. I think it is something about the repetativeness of sharpening and crossing hands to do different tasks. Take cheer, at least you know it was a clean cut on a sharp knife and it will heal all that much faster because of it :D

Stitches ? I don't tend to go in for them. It's not a macho thing, I just think of the Doctor's/Hospital's waiting room full up of genuanly sick people on one side and the other side full up of people that have a bit of a runny nose and think they might be developing a cold. Everytime I think this I can't help but feel doctors have better things to do with their time than look at a self inflicted cut.

Compression does it for me after thouroughly flushing with water, then either plaster or bandage to suit.
Beware, soft toilet paper might be kind to your bum, but when used to compress a cut it's a right bugger when it starts sticking to the cut :rolleyes:

Queeziness - Yep, I'm ashamed to say I suffer from this as well. It's the tingling / throbbing deep under the skin that does it for me.

Scars - Natures way of reminding you you've been a right dumbass in the past :D
 
ah, i forget
when i cut my lip shaving, i sliced off a piece of flesh and the bleeding was QUITE bad
after 1 min, i felt faint

if i had cut myself badly when sharpening/cleaning/maintaining my knives, i'd be sure to seek medical attention
just my 2 cents
 
Examonlyf has given very good, well informed opinion here.

Forgot to mention though,r eason you felt faint isn't the sight of blood or anything, it's precursors to shock, which is a natural defense of the body. That's why it happens when you hurt yourself, but not ifyou just see someone else who's hurt.
 
One product I find usefull for my various cuts is Micropore Tape.
Micropore is a paper medical tape.
- Micropore breaths somewhat, so the skin is less likely to become macerated, compared to a lot of other bandages.
- Micropore sticks well to the skin, yet it can be removed without damaging the wound.
- Micropore has good flexibity, so it can be wrapped around fingers, finger tips, and such.
- Micropore is readily available in drugstores, comes in various widths, comes in different types of packaging, and is not expensive.
There are some other brands of similar paper medical tapes, as well.

I can often be seen with Micropore tape on my fingers covering my various cuts from various activities.
 
I think stitches are like those "extended warranty" plans you get from car dealerships. You pay to have the stitiches put in, then you pay AGAIN to have them out. I like a 'one-payment' option, but then, I've cut out a lot of my own stitiches.

My rule-of-thumb is that if the cut makes me gag to look at, then I show it to a friend. If he gags when he looks at it, then that's two opinions and a trip to the ER might be in order. If the wound is so gross that your friend is unable to drive and you have to transport BOTH of you to the ER, then stitches are okay.

As to the benefit of beverages, I suggest something from the cactus family. It's renewable, biodegradeable, has a pleasent after taste and provides valuable jobs under NAFTA to our Mexican friends. The vitamin content of the lime is another under appreciated benefit.

I drink tequila only for knife wounds. But, as you notice, I always carry the knife.:D
 
fortunately I have never cut myself badly on a knife but I would butterfly up anything over a few millimeters deep and a centimeter or more long and would go the the drs with anything a centimeter or more deep and a couple of centimeters long.

matcho or not i dont want to loose my finger from an infection! how will I sharpen then?
 
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