Knifemaking Shrapnel

My dad had a piece of steel in one of his fingers that I think he must have got when he was in his 30's. Never had it removed and lived to be 84. It never did bother him although I think if he was still alive today I'm sure it would set off the metal detectors at the airports.
 
Be sure to look for signs of infection (red streaks:eek: , continuous brusing/bleeding), length of healing time in the wound, discharges (yellow/orange/white/g r e e n :barf: etc. or combinations) or swelling.

How long ago was the injury. Any of the above going on see a Doc. If nothing else, tell every one it was a "prison tat" (thanks mete) that you tried to remove in your shop:D
 
If it isn't bothering you just leave it alone, the body will gradually break it down, and it may come out. If it is near the surface, try some 'home surgery'. Knock back some Scotch or something. Box cutters work nicely. Dip blade into your glass of Scotch, and apply some topical anesthetic such as those toothache substances to the affected area. Simply take box cutter and cut into the affected spot and clean out the offending splinter. Wash out the area to get all the puss and poison from the infection, and it will heal up readilly.
 
Hmmm...WWPD (what would Peyton do)

"Rub some dirt on it, you'll be fine" :)
 
im all for home surgery but when it comes to fingers thats one thing i wouldnt persoanly mess with (i value the full use of my fingers a lot espicaly since i play so many insterments)

-matt
 
If you punctured the joint capsule then you can lose synovial fluid and run the risk of a very sever infection. Your immune system can not get to the inside of the capsule very easily. Worst case scenario you can lose everything from the joint on out. You also have a huge risk of arthritis that will eventually lock up the joint. You can lose all the range of motion in it.

Get that one looked at ASAP!
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
isn't there some type of medicine that helps draw out splinters?
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Campho Phenique....take a band aid or gauze and soak it in it. Put it on and leave it on it. Change it daily. Many times it will bring it to the top. Works great on stickers and splinters. May work on this as well.
 
Well guys, thanks for the insights. I was trying to stay clear of the thread, and just read the responses so as not to discourage more insightful posts/opinions. :)

As for my specific case, the discoloration has subsided pretty drastically the last couple days, though I'm still pretty sure there's a tiny little shard way in there somewhere.

It looks like I'll just 'let it ride' unless something strange starts happening with it.

It's a close one, but I think the chances of a doc screwing something up fishing around the joint/tendon/nerves is great enough to offset the risk of letting it sit--at least unless it starts causing some problems. If that happens, it's off to Doc I go.

Thanks again!
 
My mother in law lost her finger when she jabbed a barbwire fence barb into the joint capsule. Within three days it had to be amputated.
 
Tommegow said:
So, how's is the finger??
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Well, I guess I've been lucky. Discoloration is very minimal and still decreasing. It feels pretty much as if it had never been injured. Really, it seems to be 99.9% and still improving.

It was a tough call, but in this case I think I was better off not going to the doc on this one. It's probable he'd been cutting and probing around tendons and nerves and bone. I'd probably have a couple stitches to show for it.

I've been fortunate the old body seems to be ignoring that tiny little shard way down in there somewhere. Seems to have just swallowed it up without a second thought. :o

Again, I appreciate everyone's insights. Sometimes these things can turn really serious, and it really helped to hear everyone else's experiences/advice.
 
B Finnigan said:
My mother in law lost her finger when she jabbed a barbwire fence barb into the joint capsule. Within three days it had to be amputated.
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Holy Cow!:eek: :eek:

I was actually worried about that 'joint capsule', because that tiny, tiny shard seemed at first to have touched on something important. At first, it looked like a broken/fractured joint, and it even felt that way for the first hour or so after the injury (which was freaky because it was such a tiny hole). After that, it started healing up really fast. A very weird little wound.
 
Since it was a grinder shard it was most likely heat sterilized. I am glad to hear that it did not give you any problems.
 
I posted here a while back about a weird little knuckle cut. i took a tiny hunk off my knuckle and have never had anything bleed as much as that small wound. I bled at least a full cup of blood out of it that night but felt so stupid going to a doctor about it. I now have a tiny white scar but the knuckle has never felt "right" since....always wonder if i cut something important!
 
Scare tissue is some very tough stuff and it takes alot of stretching to get back even a small percentage of the original range of motion. Just keep using it (As in keep making knives:D ).
 
David Schott said:
I posted here a while back about a weird little knuckle cut. i took a tiny hunk off my knuckle and have never had anything bleed as much as that small wound. I bled at least a full cup of blood out of it that night but felt so stupid going to a doctor about it. I now have a tiny white scar but the knuckle has never felt "right" since....always wonder if i cut something important!
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That was something that raised my eyebrows too. A lot of blood from a tiny little hole, but mine eventually clotted up (about 1/2 hour or so) and was pretty much 'skinned over' by that night. No infection:) .
 
ashtxsniper said:
A lot of times it will push (travel) itself out of the body. I have had metal slivers come this way. You get like a pimple and squeeze it and out comes a chunk of metal. I also had sawdust do this when I berely cut myself with a chainsaw. Sometimes it is quick sometimes it takes years to come out. The funny thing is it can travel through your body. It can come out anywhere like your foot or upper arm. It is a very strange thing but I have had it happen before.
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If it can come out of any part of your body, you could end up with an embarassing episode during a session of hot passion with your significant other!!!
 
Somewhere down the line, the large magnetic field of an MRI might bring a sudden poignant memory of the day that piece entered the skin. ;) I have several non-magnetic metal parts and they warm up noticeably during an extended stay in the tube.

Pleasant thought, isn't it? :D
 
I noticed that also when I had an MRI. My wrist has 14 little shards of lead from an ammo rupture in it. Not only did they warm up but I could feel them vibrating during the imaging. The MRI tech said thay may "tingle" a bit. Tingle my ass!! they felt like they were all going to come out in a firery explosion.:eek:
 
Hell's bells!!! Did this have to come up today??

I am having an MRI tomorrow a.m. and I do have a fairly massive Ti plate and screws in my neck. (Fusion of two discs) An MRI sucks enough without being cooked from the inside!

The neurosurgeon said the plate and screws are "MRI-friendly" but I am pretty sure this guy has never field-tested a set personally.

Well, kiss off sleeping tonight, LOL.

Dave
 
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