A subungual hematoma is a collection of blood and fluid under the fingernail.
It’s usually the result of smashing your fingertip between two hard objects. The pressure of the blood makes the fingertip uncomfortable, intolerable pain and distress.
How does it occur:
Finger caught between car door, windows, hammer and work places.
What is the problem?
Severe pain, cut injury, swelling, limitation of motion in the fingertip
Where is the problem?
Finger tip is rich in blood supply. Injury causes blood to collect under the nail. The severity of the injury and the percentage of nail involvement determine the treatment protocol.
What can you do to help?
Ice, elevation, and have it checked out by a hand surgeon.
What is the treatment?
Look for any bony fracture in the X-ray. Nail bed injuries are always associated with the fracture of finger tip bone. The treatment options are
* nail involvement: draining the hematoma (blood clot) by cautery unit will relieve a lot of the pain.
*100% nail length: it’s simple to let the blood out by separating the nail from the skin. The nail will grow back to normal within 3-6 months time.
What is the result?
*blood collected under the nail comes out with pressure.
*pain is totally relived.
*normal nail grows back.
When to operate?
*if you can see a dark line or break in the nail.
*nail lying loose over the skin with blood clot.
*100% nail involvement with bone fracture.
No comments:
Post a Comment