The long slow drain

[Brigandier]

I just cut my finger on a can, seems to have gone pretty deep, I definitely saw some white stuff under the skin, and maybe some fleshy stuff under that.

How long do I have to live if I just cover it with gauze and tape it?

 

[Red Squirrel]

First thing I'd confirm is you can feel all around it, if yes you're good to go, you did not hit nerves. Run it under cold water, bandage it tightly so the cut stays closed and you should be good to go. Maybe use some rubbing alcohol too if you want to be extra safe from infection but it's going to hurt like hell.

Otherwise, I'd say about 2 hours.

 

[Ronstang]

Wash with warm water. Irrigate with hydrogen peroxide. Bandage tightly but not constrictive and it will heal rather quickly. You don't need stitches if you can bandage in a way that keeps the wound closed properly and it will actually heal faster this way.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Depends on where you cut it and what you can still do with it. If you cut it at the fingertip, the only thing that really matters is infection. Clean it out thoroughly with water and/or iodine to sterilize it a bit, then just wrap it up a bit so that the skin has a chance to heal the flap properly without it being moved around every 10 minutes. It is absolutely certain that you would have hit a nerve (or more likely, several dozen) but this is of little consequence. You'll lose some sensation in the fingertip, but the nerves will eventually grow back.

If you cut the finger closer to the hand but it's still shallow and you can still move the finger completely fine without problems, it's unlikely you damaged a tendon. If it's deeper or if you have pain or difficulty moving your finger, or if blood is coming out in spurts rather than in an ooze, you should get it looked at straight away. If you hit the bone, that's also something you should get looked at.

 

[Auric]

If stitches are required there is a time limit so while a bandage may halt the bleeding, after a couple hours if it still bleeds easily again then you should prolly get stitches. In any case do clean and disinfect. Peroxide may be better than alcohol. Also antibiotic ointment. Or something like that.

 

[OverVolt]

There needs to be an ATOT second hand mommy advice board.

 

[Brigandier]

There needs to be an ATOT second hand mommy advice board.

That thread would be fucked immediately by certain members.

It seems to be doing alright, I did all the proper first aid, just didn't know what the criteria for stitches was.

 

[Northern Lawn]

.....

 

[Oyeve]

Krazy glue that bitch.

 

[Auric]

That is what it was designed for.

 

[lxskllr]

You could stitch it yourself. I've been dying to try that, but I'm not willing to make test cuts to do it.

 

[Brigandier]

You could stitch it yourself. I've been dying to try that, but I'm not willing to make test cuts to do it.

What kind of stitch? I have some friends that aren't squeamish, I couldn't do it myself, it's on my dominant hand.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've actually used electrical tape on large cuts. Bandage first, then electrical tape. Duct tape could work, but it is too wide for most DIY health care situations.

To think, you could open a business and charge people thousands of dollars to do this. Just need to get the "medical grade" tape. Same stuff as home depot, but it has a red cross on it.

 

[RPD]

Make sure you piss on it so you don't get any infections.

 

[lxskllr]

What kind of stitch? I have some friends that aren't squeamish, I couldn't do it myself, it's on my dominant hand.

Not sure tbh. You could find surgical stitches online. If I were winging it without a guide, I'd use something like a whip stitch. Balance the tension, and don't pull too tight. You just want firm contact at the edges, without bunched skin. Monofilament fishing line would be ideal, but you could probably use anything.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

What kind of stitch? I have some friends that aren't squeamish, I couldn't do it myself, it's on my dominant hand.

Don't. It's better for you to just pull the edges together and sterilize then tape it with thin strips of masking tape. If you want to suture it up, go to an actual medical centre.