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How long can broken bones fester before being treated?

R

reitz

Elite Member
Short version: I had a little too much to drink last night and fell on my up the steps while I was carrying a case of beer. I landed on my thumb and now it's a really sick green and purple color, is bent at a strange angle, hurts like hell, and I can't move it. My health insurance kicks in in about a week. Does anyone know how long I can wait until I get it looked at? I really don't want to pay out of pocket when my insurance will pay for it in a week. I've got it taped down with masking tape right now, so it's not moving around too badly. Any ideas?
 
Well I would say that if it just hurts then you can wait a week but if it is turning colors you need to have it looked at immediately.

Jim
 
say uh i think you should go to the hospital before it get gangronus (sp?) and they have to cut it off...:Q i think you have about 4 to 8 hours before it gets real bad.....🙁
 
pink = good (for caucasians)

Green and purple = bad

Bent at angle, cant move it?

Sounds like a no brainer, doesnt it? If you dont go to a DR. soon you may not be able to afford masking tape or even need it.
 
Definitely go in.

I broke a bone in my hand once and waited about 5 days until I passed out one day from the pain. By the time I had gone in the bone has already started to heal so all they could do was try to re-break it and set it but never healed quite right.

With it turning colors I'd go in right away. Let us know how you make out.

Fathom
 
~reitz~, are you still drunk or haven't recover from the hangover???

Get you ass to hospital or whatever place and have somebody look at it. One week is way too long!!!
$$ is nothing compare to health!
 
reitz:

Why not start a poll?

I'm with the concensus. Get it looked at now or else it will never heal right. I broke my jaw and never got it looked at....now when I eat certain foods (usually candy, bagels, other hard or chewy food) my jaw craks so loud you can hear it in the other room! If I could od it over, I would get it looked at. Just do it!
 
I called my sister who's a nurse. Her unscientific opinion is that because it's your thumb, better get it looked at. If it was a pinky, not as critical, but people need an usable thumb.

And she recommends West Penn over St. Francis.
 
If you are so worried about money just chop it off and cauterise the wound. If you are worried about health stop being a dumbass and go to the hospital.
 
I am not sure but I think I broke my thumb a few years ago playing football while drunk. I never had it looked at but it still gives me pain on occasion, think it healed wrong. Don't be an fool like me go to the doc.
 
I fractured my thumb and it didn't even change colors.
Yours is changing colors....could be a serious break.
GO IMMEDIATELY!
 
(pssst....let's play a little joke)

Ahh, forget about it reitz! Your finger will be fine! Let your insurance take care of it, ok?



Seriously, don't screw around when it comes to your body/health.
 
The color change is dead blood, which means fractured bone or torn ligaments. If its bone it can heal in a poor position causing decreased range of motion. If its a Scaphoid(small carpal bone at base of thumb) fracture your looking at surgury b/c of poor blood supply. It should be taped in a fashion where your thumb is pointing up as if you were about to shake hands. Get it x-rayed ASAP!
 
It's actually looking a lot better. The swelling is nearly gone and because of that the color is looking a little better. It's still bent a little funny, though. How do I tell if it is broken or just dislocated?

Next question: How much would a trip to the ER cost (assuming it would be broken and need a splint)? Crap, I've been careful as hell for the last six years to avoid hurting myself, and less than a week before my insurance kicks in (Nov. 1, to be exact) I go and do this.

If I do wait it out, what's the worst thing that could likely happen?
 
ER would be expensive, but maybe you could just have a regular doctor office visit. I was just thinking, wouldn't it be horrible if you waited a week, then the claim was much worse and still denied because they could tell it was a prior injury? :disgust:
 
If it's broken most likely the shaft of the bone will be bent at an angle. You'll be able to tell if it's dislocated, it's pretty easy. If the bone isn't in it's joint, then it's dislocated.

In either case you have to go to the hospital!!! If it's broken it'll start healing in a wrong position if you wait. If it's dislocated you're not reducing the stress on the ligaments and tendons, and they will just stretch out. In that case you'll have a hell of a time trying to get your thumb back healthy and to keep from dislocating it in the future.
You don't wanna mess with breaks or dislocations, both are serious trauma.
 
a week is not going to make much difference. docs wait a week or so all the time to set broken hand bones because of swelling.

going to a hospital ER will do crap.. charge $500 to $700 & they will take an X-ray & put on a splint & give you the name of an orthopedic surgeon to call.
 
cxim: your way off. Waiting a week with a displaced fracture will require more intervention and longer recovery time. Thats if its even a fracture.

If its bent at the joint(proximal or distal phalangeal) then its most likely dislocated. If its mid-shaft, then could be a fracture.

Do you have a lot of pain with movement? You should be putting ice on for 15 min. at a time, once an hour.
 
With any insurance company that I've worked with, accidents must be reported to the hospitals within 48 hours to be covered by insurance companies.

Most doctors could probably tell that this injury is at least a week old.

Even if your insurance kicks in on monday, you are still screwed I'm afraid.

I'd check your insurance policy to see how soon accidents must be reported to the emergency room.
 
I'm not worried about the insurance covering it. In return for the pathetic salary that I am paid, I receive really good benefits. My company's health insurance is actually self-funded. The pland doesn't care about anything that existed prior to coverage. As long as you are part of the plan now, any illness that you experience is covered.

Once that plan kicks in, it doesn't matter what the pre-existing conditions are. They cover everything. Pre-existing or not, they will pay for the x-rays and splint for my thumb next week.

$500 to $700, you've got to be kidding! That's a no brainer; as much as I would like to have a physician look at my thumb, it's not worth that kind of cash. In 4 days, I can get x-rayed for just $5 (total co-pay); there's not a chance in hell that I'd shell out the money to get it taken care of sooner. The duct tape will just have to last for now.
 
hey, reitz.. i would get it looked at immeditely... the bone begins to heal after a couple of days... there are other things like dead blood festering inside the body... this can cause infection and surgery to get the dead blood out... i would go to the ER right now.....
 


<< $500 to $700, you've got to be kidding! That's a no brainer; as much as I would like to have a physician look at my thumb, it's not worth that kind of cash. In 4 days, I can get x-rayed for just $5 (total co-pay); there's not a chance in hell that I'd shell out the money to get it taken care of sooner. The duct tape will just have to last for now. >>



Well reitz, no offense but that assinine statement says it all. It appears anyone responding to your thread and advising you to seek medical attention, in your own best interest mind you, has wasted their time. At this point, I would advise you take your thumb and stick it up your tight, cheap a$$ as that may be all it is good for in a week when you do finally seek medical attention.

Your health not worth that kind cash? Nice. Drink up.
 
Go to the doctor. Now. Why are you still reading this? Money comes and goes but you will only have one set of usable thumbs for your entire life.
 
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