Anyone offer some medical advice?

[Blighty Skins]

I was taking down some bathroom tiles on Tuesday and some broken bits fell on my hand and wrist which held the lump hammer. One piece with a sharp point fell on the wrist and cut the vein ...the one running down to the hand inbetween the two tendons. It was a puncture wound but as wide as the vein. I know it went as far as the vein cause the blood was almost black and it was pulsating out...like a pulse.

I looked after it and now the wound is superficially closed but today I got some yellow bruising around the wound where yesterday there wasn't anything. Is it possible the vein is bleeding under the skin? Do veins heal on their own or do they need stitching. I don't have a clue where to look on Google.

Anyne have experience with this sort of thing or ever injured a vein? On Monday I'll be going to the doctor...should I go to ER now or tomorrow instead?

[redskins4life234]

I would of went to the hospital tuesday If I were you, because thats a major vein, and thats part of the reason why Slitting your wrist is so bad. I'm no expert, but thats my input.

[bearrock]

I say be safe and go to the ER now. Even if it's not an emergency, at least you can be sure and have some peace of mind.

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Go to the EMERGENCY ROOM. NOW. There are enough different types of infections and bad things that can happen with that sort of injury that you should have gone to the EMERGENCY ROOM immediately when it happened.

[Midnight Judges]

For everyone in my area, never go to Potomac hospital. Always go to Fairfax hospital.

This was not the only thing to go wrong at Potomac, but they were taking blood and they punctured my vein badly and I had a bruise that went from my forearm to half way up my bicept. It's healing now.

Again, Potomac hospital sucks. I wouldn't trust those people to give me the time of day.

That is not a shadowon my arm (there is a shadow on the wall). It's a huge effing bruise and it used to be worse. It didn't really hurt but it's kind of scary to see half your arm turn purple over a damn blood sample. After the nurse took out the needle she pressed on it really really hard. I've had blood taken before and I know they need to press a little but this lady took her thumb and jammed it into my vein as hard as she possibly could. Being the macho guy that I am, of course I didn't wince or pull away or anything but I knew something wasn't right.

[Blighty Skins]

If I go now I'll have to sleep at the ER...cos it's Saturday night in the UK and with all the injured drunks/fights there will be a looooooooooooong wait. I'll probably go tomorrow morning when all the drunks are in bed.

The cuts really small but takes up the whole width of the vein (actually think it's an artery now)...only problem is I don't know how far down it went. I was more worried about my tendons either side to be honest, in case one got nipped. Tendons seem fine though...and the infections I wasn't worried cos it bled a lot...though maybe I should get a tetanus shot come to think of it....

I hate doctors and hospitals...was hoping it would cure itself.

Thanks for the advice guys.....by the way...anyone know if veins or arterys heal by themselves or require surgery?

[Blighty Skins]

Midnight Judges...do you have a high res picture of your arm...I want to compare the bruising to what I've got on mine. Thanks.

SHOW ME THE ARM!! LOL

[Tarhog]

Don't be an idiot. If you're concerned enough to post it here, you're concerned enough to have a physician look at it. Its unlikely you punctured an artery - an arterial bleed is dramatic (as in blood shooting across the room, or rapidly seeing a huge hematoma form). You puncture or cut an artery, you will likely know it - and it can be life threatening. On the other hand, severing or puncturing a major vessel can be serious as well, depending on a lot of factors.

You should see a physician if you're concerned. Period.

[Blighty Skins]

Yeah ok...I'll just phone my doctor at 1:30 in the morning to tell him about my wrist...I'm sure he'll be well chuffed. Reason I'm asking is cos I saw bruising on it when there wasn't any yesterday...so got me worried. I was hoping up until this afternoon that it had healed on it's own...thus avoiding having to go see a doctor... I was also trying to figure out if I should wait until Monday or go to ER directly later today (Sunday). Which means an average 6 hour wait for "non-emergency-emergencies". Our health system is very archaic...but in compense ITS FREEEEEEEE.

Hey I can't sleep...kind of hard when you're worried about your arm...so slap my bottom and call me a buggered haddock!

[Drockvb]

Yeah ok...I'll just phone my doctor at 1:30 in the morning to tell him about my wrist...I'm sure he'll be well chuffed. Reason I'm asking is cos I saw bruising on it when there wasn't any yesterday...so got me worried. I was hoping up until this afternoon that it had healed on it's own...thus avoiding having to go see a doctor... I was also trying to figure out if I should wait until Monday or go to ER directly later today (Sunday). Which means an average 6 hour wait for "non-emergency-emergencies". Our health system is very archaic...but in compense ITS FREEEEEEEE.

Hey I can't sleep...kind of hard when you're worried about your arm...so slap my bottom and call me a buggered haddock!

I would go to the ER. Bruising is not a horrible thing. But if you have pain starting to develop, that would be an infection.
i had a bruise develop from an IV that was put in my arm. lumps developed under my skin at the vein. i was worried too. i thought about infections and clots, but everything is alright now, it went away.
But be safe and have it checked.

[Blighty Skins]

Thanks guys...if I'm not dead by tomorrow night I'll give you all a report.

[Bonez3]

You should be more worried about infection.

As long as the area is not swelling and you stated the wound is healing, you likely didn't damage a major vessel. If blood loss was large enough other symptoms would have presented by now. get a shot to be safe.

More worrisome would be a fragment left in there.

[twa]

Super glue it shut and quit your whining...What are you a girl?

[DeanCollins]

There are enough different types of infections and bad things that can happen with that sort of injury that you should have gone to the EMERGENCY ROOM immediately when it happened.

bathroom tiles are a good place to find staff infection. a nasty case of staff can take you out in less than a week or at least beyond the point of no return. I'd get a tetnus shot and some antibiotics for that but, hey I'm no doctor

[ashmomicmac]

Arterial blood is bright red. I would be worried about infection too. Veins can heal on their own but have a difficult time if severed in half. Major bleeding under the skin would make a hematoma, or in laymens terms, a golf ball sized bubble under the skin that would hurt like hell for a while. If you forgo the Doctors visit, watch for signs of infection.