What to do about an injury at home
A couple of years ago, I was slicing vegetables using a mandolin and cut off the tip of my right baby finger. I was so shocked when it happened, seeing all the bleeding. I called a friend to come and help me, mostly for moral support and advice. I also called the Cape Cod Hospital Emergency Department to ask if I needed stitches.
The triage nurse I spoke with reassured me there was nothing more to do other than to continue applying pressure until the bleeding stopped and that it would eventually heal on its own. She was right. Once the bleeding stopped, I kept the finger covered with a bandage and protected as best I could. It eventually healed.
My injury was quite common, according to Christopher Vercollone, MD, a Cape Cod Hospital emergency physician.
“Finger cuts from mandolins in the kitchen and boxcutters at work are the number one and number two sources of cuts we see in the ER,” he said. “Finger cuts resulting from trying to stab the core of an avocado or fruit are also another source of frequent cuts.”
Finger cuts do heal over time, but initially they bleed a lot and there is no specific way to stop it at home, he said. One option is to go to one of the CCHC Urgent Care Centers, where they can apply a hemostatic dressing to stop the bleeding.
Cape Cod Healthcare Urgent Care centers treat a wide range of minor illnesses and injuries, including cuts and lacerations as well as sprains, fractures and falls. All six locations in Falmouth, Harwich, Hyannis, Sandwich, The Pinehills - Plymouth and Orleans are staffed by board-certified ER providers.
While they see a lot of patients with cuts in the ER, one of the more common injuries the staff sees are falls.
“My guess is in the 8 to 9 percent range of presentations from falls, if not more,” Dr. Vercollone said.
This tracks with what is happening nationwide. The leading cause of nonfatal injuries in 2023 was falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were more than eight million unintentional falls among all ages.
“The most common types of falls we see are those who hit their head, resulting in a head injury, and/or hip, ankle, wrist and rib fractures,” said Dr. Vercollone. “Wrist and ankle fractures are very common in younger and older patients. Hip fractures are more common as you get older. Rib fractures occur at any age, but mostly in older adults.”
How to Help an Injured Person
If you or someone you’re with suffers an injury, Dr. Vercollone recommends the following tips:
- Assess the severity. Did the person fall? Are there any obvious broken bones or major cuts?
- Perform a brief evaluation. Is the person conscious or unconscious? If unconscious, call 911 and try waking them up by yelling, or rubbing their shoulders or arms. If they respond, talk with them, see if they remember what happened. If there is no response to stimulation, check the airway to see if they need to be repositioned. Check for breathing and their pulse. If these are absent, call 911 and start CPR.
- Look for what caused the fall. This gives the bigger picture. There are falls that are considered mechanical, meaning they tripped over a rug, and that is a common cause. Area rugs can bunch up and make it easy to trip over.
- Did they fall because they have been ill or not feeling well and became light-headed and passed out?
- If the person is awake or wakes up, talk with them to get information and assess where their body is hurting. Do not start moving them around if they struck their head on something. If they did hit their head or they are unsure, the EMTs will immobilize them with a cervical collar or immobilize their spine to prevent further injury.
- Stop the bleeding from a large cut by putting pressure on the bleeding. If there is a large amount of bleeding, you can use a shirt to wrap around the cut and stick something firm and long like a kitchen utensil in the shirt and twist it to form a tourniquet. Twist it until there is no more blood flow.
Dr. Vercollone also suggests monitoring the injured person and, if you are able, gather information that will be helpful for the EMTs and the hospital. If the person is elderly, check if they have an advanced directive and check for medication lists. The medication lists are helpful in assessing what may have precipitated their fall.
“My best advice to prevent injuries is to protect yourself; make sure your home is safe and err on the side of caution,” said Dr. Vercollone. “If you are injured or find someone injured and are uncertain about treatment, you can always ask us. If you’re not sure if you need treatment you can go to urgent care and, if you are undecided whether to go to urgent care or the ER, go to the ER. When in doubt, take the more conservative route.”
