Should I get medical attention for cut on child's finger?

[tripleripples]

He has cut his finger on a sharp piece of metal whilst playing out today. He says the metal wasn't rusty and had just been taken off a chair. It bled quite a lot and was all over his hand but had mostly stopped bleeding by the time he walked home, which was about 5-10 minutes. There was no dirt in the cut, just blood on his hand.

A lot of the blood had dried on so I tried my best to wash off what I could and wash out the cut, but he was terrified of me going anywhere near it so I sorted it out as best I could and put a plaster on. It has been bleeding slightly through the plaster so I've changed it a couple of times.

I'm just a bit concerned about location and how it looks. I can see now that it is not bleeding that it looks pretty deep and kind of jagged - it's going right next the crease on his finger joint and then rises up the side. I can't tell whether there are little cuts next to it or whether blood has just dried in creases. He is really freaking out every time I try to look at it.

Would you get medical attention this long afterwards or is it pointless? I'm thinking of seeing how it looks in the morning and then taking him somewhere to get it looked at. I'm worried that I should have taken him when it happened but I thought it was ok because the wound didn't look so jagged and the bleeding was stopping. I couldn't see that it was rising up the side of his finger. He can move his finger and has sensation but obviously doing so hurts and kind of reopens the wound due to the location.

[Solasum]

Hmm. Do you have any steristrips at home? If not, if it is deep and it is still opening up with a normal plaster, I think you probably should get it seen to properly

[GaraMedouar]

Has he had a tetanus (probably in the childhood jabs) ?

[MrsVMorgan]

If you’re going to get it looked at, tonight would be better than normal in terms of it being stitched/steri stripped back together.

[MrsVMorgan]

Better than tomorrow*

[campion]

From your description I think I would get it looked at. If he won't let you near it then it probably needs attention.

[INeedNewShoes]

It may well need glueing.

DD burst her chin open recently. I nearly didn’t take her to have it looked at but I’m so glad I did as the nurse said that without glue it wouldn’t have healed due to it being somewhere that moves a lot.

I’d be wary with a deep cut on a finger.

I know it’s a palaver but I’d get it looked at and the sooner the better.

[tripleripples]

I have nothing other than normal plasters. The bleeding has been very slight but I thought it might have been because I had originally put on quite a large plaster and it wasn't really doing much. It was too hard to get it across all of his finger joints without it gaping and I didn't want to press on it. I've just swapped it for a smaller, standard sized plaster and managed to get it on a bit better. The cut can just about fit in there. No blood has come through but he's only had it on for about twenty five minutes or so.

I'll see how he is in the morning but I'm worried it'll be too late to do anything by then. I'm feeling really worried and guilty. Always worried that I make the wrong call when it comes to whether or not we need to go to hospital.

He's had the tetanus injection in his standard childhood jabs. He is now twelve.

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

If he's sleeping and its stopped bleeding- leave it till tomorrow.

Iv seen some very bad cuts that have healed by secondary healing because it was too late to suture them.

As long as it is has beet cleaned and has stopped bleeding.

Taking him for suturing could be very distressing.

[tripleripples]

The fact that he won't let me look at it isn't something specific to this. He is generally very extreme in his reactions and it makes things difficult to judge. He screams and wails and flails himself around on the floor every time he hurts himself. I think he feels sick just looking at it so he's screaming at me to put a plaster on every time I am dealing with it.

[GFqueen]

If you go to A and E, they might give a tetanus injection anyway. Better safe than sorry! Just pop there now.

[campion]

If you're worried then take him. One of the few upsides of the present situation is that A&E departments are much quieter so you should be seen fairly quickly and sorted.
Don't feel guilty-it's a good reason.

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

@tripleripples I genuinely think you will be ok.

Monitor for signs of infection... ie inflammation, heat from the area , discharge, and if you feel you need reassurance in the morning contact your practice nurse .

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

@GFqueen and @campian if neccessay a tetanus can be given tomorrow.

If the bleeding has abated and isnt soaking through plasters it isn't necessary to go to ED .

[Embracelife]

He may need a tetanus booster.
Does hd have special needs?
At 12 he is old enough to understand it needs cleaning properly. Unless has special needs.
Take him to get it looked at... if not cleaned properly could get infected.

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

OP has cleaned it .

I would let him settle OP unless your frantic. Unless it is soaking through dressings and as long as he can move the area this does not sound like an ED trip .

[tripleripples]

No SN diagnosed but he has certainly got some 'issues'. He has been discharged from camhs for now. I think he's asleep now. I might sneak in to see if any blood has soaked through.

Feel like I always make the wrong call. I've taken him in the past because of his reaction and there's been nothing wrong. At least he has admitted to exaggerating on those occasions. He kept randomly screaming in pain with it but when I offered paracetamol he'd tell me it wasn't actually that bad. I just don't know. He has had some paracetamol now.

One of his issues is to do with tics and OCD type thoughts and he's now been getting the urge to keep bending his finger and it hurts when he does it. He kept bending it loads. That's part of the reason that I don't want to dwell on it too much with him - that came on because I asked him about it and outwardly wondered whether I should get some medical attention.

[Embracelife]

Op implied she could not clean it very well.

"so I tried my best to wash off what I could and wash out the cut, but he was terrified of me going anywhere near"

May not have cleaned adequately

[Embracelife]

put some antiseptic cream like savlon
If you remove plaster and clean in the morning

[tripleripples]

I did wash it under the tap for quite a while. The cleaning issue is that most of the blood had dried so I was scrubbing it off his hand. He wouldn't let me scrub the area directly around the cut to get the blood off so I couldn't see it so clearly. But I did manage to direct the flow of water directly onto it for quite a while, he just wouldn't let me touch it. I did put antiseptic cream on with the plaster once it had been washed and dried.

[BertieBotts]

Tetanus is part of the preschool boosters so he should be alright for that.

I had a nasty cut on the inside of my knuckle a few years ago and it did really have to be strapped up properly so I couldn't move it as I couldn't help it, it was kind of a compulsion! I di have ADHD and OCD tendencies as well.

There are arteries which run there, as I'd managed to sever one (as well as the tendon and the nerve). I wouldn't have bled to death because it is a tiny artery but it did need stitching.

There are very good antiseptic sprays now which honestly don't sting at all. I had to use one on my finger every day while it healed. Hands get exposed to lots of germy things.

[tripleripples]

I've just had a look and the plaster hasn't bled through. I did wake him up though! He was gripping the duvet quite tightly with that hand and there was a bit of a fight with him pulling it back from me so I feel happier knowing that he is moving his finger and gripping without it bleeding.

I think I might call the GP and ask to speak to a nurse tomorrow. Perhaps I could send a photo and explain the issue with the urge to move it.

[Pinkchocolate]

Call 111 tonight, they’ll either reassure you or tell you to get him seen but either way they’ll be able to help.

[BertieBotts]

It sounds OK if it has stopped bleeding now :)

[Stompythedinosaur]

I would leave it. If it has stopped bleeding it will heal in time. Just keep an eye out for signs of infection.

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

@tripleripples i think thats the right decision