Injuries to the hands and feet are quite common, ranging from minor cuts and scrapes to more serious injuries that damage bones, ligaments and tendons. Sometimes a doctor is needed, but in many cases it is possible to treat them at home. Properly bandaging an injured toe or foot can help prevent infection, promote healing, and stabilize the injured area.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Assess the Damage
Step 1. Determine the severity of the injury
See a doctor if you see a protruding bone, if the wound involves deep cuts or lacerations, numbness, or if large portions of skin have been removed. In the worst case, it is possible that the skin or even a finger has suffered partial or more extensive cuts. If this is the case, apply some ice to the limb until you get to the ER.
Step 2. Stop the bleeding
With a sterile gauze or a clean cloth, apply pressure on the wounded area, until the blood flow stops. If the bleeding doesn't stop after holding firmly for 5 to 10 minutes, seek medical attention.
If possible, use bandages that leave no fibers in the wound and prevent blood clots from forming
Step 3. Thoroughly clean the injured area
Use cool water, sterile gauze, or a clean cloth. If you have time, wash your hands before starting. Eliminates dirt and residues that may be present on the wound. It can be painful to touch a recent wound, but it is important to clean it carefully and carefully to prevent infection.
Clean the area around the wound using sterile gauze soaked in a saline solution or clean water. Clean by making an in-out motion in all directions
Step 4. Determine if the injury can be treated and bandaged at home
Once the bleeding has stopped and the area has been cleaned, you will have less difficulty seeing damage that was not clear at first, such as protruding bones or bone fragments. Most injuries that occur to the hands and feet can be managed at home using proper methods of cleaning, bandaging and controlling the affected area.
Step 5. Use a butterfly patch
For deep cuts and lacerations you will probably need a few stitches. If you can, apply a butterfly patch to join the lips of the wound until you can get to a hospital. If the lesion is extensive, use more than one. This will help prevent infections, keep bleeding at bay, and help your doctor evaluate the area to be sutured.
If you don't have butterfly patches available, use regular patches, trying to join the separated parts of skin together as much as possible. Be careful not to place the sticky side of the patch directly on the wound
Step 6. Find out if a bone has broken
Symptoms of a bone fracture can include pain, swelling, stiffness, bruising, deformity, and difficulty moving the hand or foot. If you are in pain when you put pressure on the injured area or when you try to walk, it is likely that you have broken a bone.
Step 7. Manage a bone fracture or sprain at home
There are many cases in which it is possible to deal with a bone fracture or a sprain at home. However, if the skin appears to have some deformation on the surface, it is very likely that the bone has broken into several parts. In such circumstances it is necessary to seek medical assistance to realign the separate sections.
Step 8. Treat a broken toe
Fractures involving the big toe are more difficult to treat at home. Bone fragments could become dislocated, ligaments and tendons could be injured during the injury, and the risks of infection and arthritis will be greater if the area does not heal properly. Go to the emergency room if your big toe appears to be broken.
Joining the injured finger together with the neighboring one by wrapping medical tape will support the broken finger until you get to the hospital
Step 9. Apply ice to prevent swelling, reduce bruising, and relieve pain
Avoid applying it directly to the skin. You can put it in a bag and wrap it in a small towel or cloth. Sometimes hand and foot injuries do not involve cuts, scrapes, bleeding, or skin lacerations. It is possible for a finger to be dislocated or a bone to fracture even though the skin remains intact.
Apply ice for ten minutes at a time
Part 2 of 3: Apply the Bandage
Step 1. Choose a bandage suitable for the injury
If you are dealing with minor cuts and scrapes, the dressing serves to prevent the area from becoming infected and to promote healing. For more severe injuries, it is needed to prevent infection and protect the injured area as it heals.
Step 2. Use a simple dressing to prevent infections
An injury to the hand or foot can result in damage to the skin, nails, nail bed, sprains of ligaments and tendons, or bone fractures. If you just need protection from infection, it will be enough to medicate and use regular patches.
Step 3. Wrap the wound with sterile material
If there are wounds on the skin, proper dressing of the area will prevent them from becoming infected and continuing to bleed. Use sterile compresses and gauze or clean materials to cover them entirely. Try not to touch the sterile part of the bandage which will be in direct contact with the wound.
Step 4. Use antibiotic creams to medicate
The risk of infection increases when injuries involve cuts, scrapes or lacerations of the skin. By applying antibiotic cream directly to the bandage, you can prevent infections without touching the wound.
Step 5. Keep the dressing in place with a bandage
The bandages shouldn't be too tight, but they need to wrap around the wound to keep the dressing in place. If they tighten excessively, they can prevent blood from circulating properly.
Step 6. Avoid leaving the ends of the bandage hanging
Be sure to cut or secure the ends of the bandage, tape, or material used for wrapping. If they get caught or stuck in something, they could cause pain and, in some cases, further damage.
Step 7. Leave the tip of your finger or toe exposed
Unless this area is also injured, leaving it out will allow you to check for changes that indicate circulation problems. Also, if medical attention is needed, leaving the extremities of the hands and feet exposed will give the doctor a chance to evaluate damage to the nerve endings.
Step 8. Adjust the bandage to properly cover the tip if it is injured
It is not easy to bandage the fingers and toes. Therefore, whether it is sterile gauze, gauze pads or medical plasters, make sure that the bandage material is larger than the area to be bandaged so that it adheres properly to the affected area.
Step 9. Cut the bandage in the shape of a "T", "X" or "cross"
By cutting the bandage material in this way, you will be able to safely cover the localized wounds on the tips of your fingers or toes. Make the cut pieces twice as long as the injured finger. First spread the bandage along the finger, then go down the other side. Wrap the rest around the affected area.
Step 10. Be careful not to over tighten
Where necessary, use medical tape so the bandage stays in place. Be sure to cover all skin wounds with the dressing material as well before applying the final bandage to prevent infection.
Step 11. Provide support in case of bone sprains or fractures
It is essential to apply the bandage to protect the injured area, prevent infection, promote healing, provide support and avoid further damage.
Step 12. Use a splint for sprains or fractures
It allows you to immobilize the injured part and prevent the risk of further injury. Choose a splint that is the appropriate size for the injured finger. In some cases, you can use the popsicle stick.
Step 13. Fold the sterile gauze or compresses along the injured area to cushion any bumps
You can use the dressing material by carefully folding it between the injured finger and the splint so that it acts as a cushion and prevents any irritation from occurring.
Step 14. Stop the cue
Use medical tape or adhesive tape to secure it, being careful not to over tighten. Apply it vertically first, holding your finger on one side and the splint on the other, then wrap the injured finger and splint so that everything stays in place. Again, do not over tighten, but just enough so that the splint does not slip out.
Step 15. Band two fingers together
In most cases, the finger adjacent to the injured finger can act as a splint. This is a method of bandaging that prevents the injured finger from moving freely, allowing the injured area to heal properly.
Usually the first and second fingers or the third and fourth fingers are joined with the medical tape. Don't forget to insert small pieces of gauze between them to prevent irritation
Step 16. Begin by applying the tape above and below the wound
Cut or tear off 2 pieces of white, non-elastic medical tape. Wrap each piece just above and below the injured joint or bone fracture, including the finger that acts as a support in the bandage. Take care to wrap tightly, without over-tightening.
Step 17. Wrap more ribbon
Once your fingers are anchored to each other, continue wrapping them with duct tape to lock them together. This method allows the fingers to bend together, but limits their lateral movements.
Part 3 of 3: Knowing When to Seek Medical Assistance
Step 1. Pay attention to any blood under the nail
In some cases, blood may build up under the nail of the injured finger, putting unwanted pressure and further compromising the injury. Medical attention is required to relieve the pressure.
Step 2. Get the tetanus vaccination
Even for a minor cut or scratch, it may be necessary to administer this vaccine to prevent serious infections. Adults should have the booster every 5-10 years.
Step 3. Check for other symptoms
If you have a sudden fever, chills, numbness or tingling, or a sharp increase in pain or swelling, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Step 4. Give yourself time to recover physically
It usually takes about 8 weeks to heal from a bone fracture, while in the case of sprains and joint injuries, healing times are faster. If problems persist, consult a doctor. After the first 2 or 3 days, if symptoms worsen, such as pain and swelling, medical attention is recommended.
Advice
- Continue applying ice periodically to relieve pain, swelling, and bruising. Initially apply it for 10-20 minutes every hour to reduce the manifestation of these symptoms.
- Keep the wound clean. At first, change the dressing more often, as wounds tend to bleed and can become infected.
- Wrap the bandages tightly, without over-tightening them.
- Keep the injured area elevated.
- Relax.
