Advice for care of stiches in your fingertip?

Plutonium244

Plutonium244

Mar 29, 2015
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Wisconsin
#1
Hi, I need some advice regarding care for a fingertip cut that required stitches, whcih I got yesterday. Here's the detail:

I just received a fairly deep cut on the index finger pad (and side) on my left (fretting) hand yesterday, in a snow blower accident. Didn't lose the tip but it was a fairly deep cut. I got stitches, thicker ones where the wound was more torn up, more normal stitches where the cut was more "normal".

10+ years ago I got a cut on my right index finger that was pretty bad-- and I still don't have feeling on the inside and inside tip of that finger (still have feeling on the outside and outside tip though). I can still play and have grown accustomed...

But this new cut, while less bloody, is not nearly so surgically clean (they had to use thicker sutures and run them through farther away from the cut where it would hold better... so while nothing bad has happened yet other than a little overnight bleeding into the gauze from the wound, I have concerns as playing music is so very important to me.

The medical staff did not make clear to me that I should not start cleaning the wound 1-2 times per day until 24-48 of keeping it dry, so I cleaned it yesterday even 12 hrs after the event. Kind of had to use a little water to get the bandage to separate from the dried blood. Now today, a physician assistant friend tells me that I should not wash it until tomorrow, but should change the dressing... but I can see I'll need some water to de-stick the gauze from the dried blood.

Any suggestions about care, cleaning, diet/nutrition, or anything that could impact my healing?

Thanks in advance, bass brothers.
 
#2
Use sterile saline to soften the dressing when you take it off. You might need to go to an independent drug store to get it. If you can’t find straight sterile saline, any number of wound wash liquids are available at chain drugstores and Wally World. If it comes in a large multi use container, pour the liquid onto your old dressing do not not put the dressing against the mouth of the bottle or you risk contamination of the contents.
last, as long as sterile saline is still factory sealed, it can be past it’s use by date and still be OK to use as long as it's not cloudy.
 
#4
Plutonium244 said:
The medical staff did not make clear to me that I should not start cleaning the wound 1-2 times per day until 24-48 of keeping it dry, so I cleaned it yesterday even 12 hrs after the event. Kind of had to use a little water to get the bandage to separate from the dried blood. Now today, a physician assistant friend tells me that I should not wash it until tomorrow, but should change the dressing... but I can see I'll need some water to de-stick the gauze from the dried blood.

Any suggestions about care, cleaning, diet/nutrition, or anything that could impact my healing?

Thanks in advance, bass brothers.
Click to expand...

I’m assuming that the cut was just a cut, and was closed completely (no open areas or missing skin, etc.)...

I usually advise to keep the area dry and covered for the first 48 hours. After that you can wash normally (gently) with regular soap and water, but avoid long soaking (allows water to penetrate under the skin along the stitches and could allow bacteria to enter).

Keep the area covered with a dry bandage. If the bandage gets soaking wet, replace it with a dry one. A plain dry bandage is ok, but using some Polysporin or Neosporin ointment (basically vaseline with antibiotics in it) on the area can help prevent infection. AND it also helps keep the bandage from sticking!

The docs probably recommended that the stitches should come out in 7 days (if they recommended longer, of course follow their instructions!). After the stitches are out you can wash the finger normally, but I would keep the wound covered for a few more days.

As far as when you can play again, the important thing to know is that the stitches are removed after 7 days, but the wound is not totally healed until about a month after the injury. If you put too much stress on the wound too early you could cause the wound to open. You could try playing (cautiously) after a couple of weeks, but I would wait about a month before you really go nuts!

Also, let the amount of soreness be your guide. The pain is there to warn you that you’re doing harm. If putting pressure on the area is uncomfortable, definitely back off!

KenB (MD)
 
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#5
IME: best to follow the medical advice (of course you're telling those folks how you use that finger: to play! right?). if they understand the situation they will give the best advice to an individual patient. ;)

my "badge" :laugh: :
i got 7 stitches for a fairly deep cut in the playing-pad of my little finger once (left hand, think: simandl) a couple of hours before a gig. the ER doc was also a musician, understood the situation, and he stitched/advised accordingly. the finger was taped to keep blood/ooze off of the strings and fingerboard but also to provide a modicum of flexibility. it hurt a little to play, but it wasn't 'devasting'. i was younger/stupider so it wasn't a big deal at the time. i played 'awkwardly' at some moments, but convincingly enough to get paid! these days: i'd let it heal some before i tried to take advantage. my body/system is a little slower to heal than it was then.

good luck with your medical 'compliance'! :thumbsup:
 
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#6
fhm555 said:
Use sterile saline to soften the dressing when you take it off.
Click to expand...
This is very important. Keeping it clean and dry is equally important. There are impurities in water and the atmosphere, dust, dirt, germs etc., that may cause infection. This is the last thing you want. Seriously.

The less you tamper with the digit in question, the better, as long as your dressing and the components , tools and equipment — including your hands which should've been gloved — that were used in the process of dressing the site were sterile. I'd be back to the surgery, or to a hospital, for some more attention to that wound, If I were you, considering the treatment you've given it. If it's in any way infected, be proactive now. When you're done with that, if you have a choice, leave it alone for as long as possible and, whatever you do, don't get it wet, with anything like tap water, again.

If you're going to have another shot at dressing it, get a few of these — Dressing Pack Basic Multigate — and some of these — Sterets Normasol 25ml Sachets - Saline Wash - 5,10, 15. 20 or 25 Sachets | eBay — and it may be wise to get a box of inspection gloves — 1.3 Hand Hygiene and Non-Sterile Gloves – Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care. See how it goes. All the best.
 
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#8
Do you really need it? I mean, consider Django Reinhardt, he played with three fingers most of the time. Let it go...

It sounds like a nasty cut, especially in the fingertip. Give it full rest by avoiding using it and any contact with the tip if you can, consider it practise in finger independence. Time will heal.
 
#9
When I had a significant cut across the pad of my right thumb that required stitches ( a couple inside, the rest on the outside ) the biggest struggle was with my skin drying out. It took a bit to avoid moisture sucking things like cardboard or paper. Using lotion is a no-no so it was a pain. Also, avoid hand sanitizers as the alcohol also saps moisture.

That all I got.
 
#10
lfmn16 said:
y advice is don’t ask bass players for medical advice and don’t ask your doctor how to play bass. You have no idea what anyone’s
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t become obsessed with worrying about infection, just use common sense. There is no need to keep the wound completely dry, just don’t keep your hand under water longer than taking a shower. (And don’t soak the hand in dirty dish water or clean out the septic tank). The bandage should be dry, except for antibiotic ointment if you use it.

The most likely source of infection is contamination of the wound AT THE TIME OF THE INJURY, meaning dirt, debris and bacteria on the skin that enter the wound at that time. The doc will examine the wound and wash/clean/irrigate it before stitching it up. And a snowblower injury is better than one from a manure spreader or a table saw!

After the wound is cleaned and closed up the most likely reason it could get infected is poor circulation (blood supply) in the area of the wound. A finger should have excellent circulation (assuming you’re not a 95 year old diabetic...). The doc would have trimmed any badly damaged skin (that would die and interfere with healing) from the edges of the cut before stitching. As long as you don’t keep the bandages so tight as to cut off the circulation you should be fine.
 
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