Visits to the emergency room can get expensive fast. As deductibles increase, the patient pays out more on those bills. (That’s one reason we founded Go To Ortho, the first immediate injury care clinic in the Portland area.) When you or your child is hurt one decision becomes paramount: can I take care of this at home or do we need immediate medical help? Here are some general guidelines for several common injuries, when and how to treat them at home, and when you should see a doctor.
These are general guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
If you or your child is cut, it can be a scary experience because of the sudden sight of blood. Open wounds are the second most common injury to be treated in an emergency department, but not every cut requires immediate medical attention.
If the bleeding has stopped and the wound is not severe enough to need stitches, you can treat the cut successfully at home:
If you’ve ever jammed your finger, you aren’t likely to forget it anytime soon – it hurts. Even though the pain stops you in your tracks, jammed fingers can be treated at home using rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE):
When it comes to a jammed finger, “compression” means gently wrapping it to an adjacent finger to give it stability.
Sometimes your finger isn’t jammed, it’s broken. Here a few warning signs that your finger may be broken and you need to go to the doctor:
If your child has a jammed finger, be sure to monitor his or her injury for less obvious symptoms like swelling that does not lessen. It’s important to set children’s broken fingers to make sure they don’t experience problems with their hands as their bones continue to grow.
Bruises are common occurrences, especially in active children. Often people will notice a bruise and not remember when they got it. Bruises rarely require a trip to the doctors. However, sometimes bruises form because of a more severe injury.
If your injury includes a painful bruise, you should:
Some symptoms mean that your injury needs medical treatment, including:
You also need to make an appointment with your doctor if you notice that you suddenly have started to bruise easily or you have a lot of bruises for no clear reason. This could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency or a more serious problem.
Accidentally hitting the end of your finger with a hammer or stubbing your toe can result in not only a swollen, painful toe or finger but also blood gathering under the nail. This trapped blood can cause additional pain and swelling.
If you hurt a finger or toe:
If the pain is severe or throbbing, and you have blood under your fingernail you can treat this injury at home. This procedure shouldn’t hurt because there are no nerve endings in the nail.
To drain blood from under the nail:
Blood will drain out, relieving the pressure and pain. If this does not relieve the pain, you may have a broken bone or a cut under the nail that will require medical attention.
This procedure is not recommended if you have diabetes, a weak immune system, blood flow problems or if there are signs of an infection such as red streaks leading from the nail or pus.
Injuries like cuts, bruises or a smashed finger are always unexpected. Knowing when and how to treat them at home and when to seek medical care reduces guesswork and can help you save money on unnecessary, expensive trips to the ER.
If your injury does need medical attention, consider visiting Go To Ortho, the only urgent care in the greater Portland metro area that specializes in injuries only. Patients are seen by injury specialists and orthopedic surgeons. Contact Go To Ortho or stop by one of our clinics – walk-in patients are welcome, no doctor referral necessary!