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Medical Author:

Chad Tarr, MD

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Anyone with a hand injury should consider calling a doctor or seek medical attention. The potential for devastating injuries increases greatly when medical attention is delayed. Even the smallest cut or seemingly innocent hand injury could require advanced treatment to prevent significant loss of function.

Any cut or laceration, which may require stitches to repair, warrants a medical evaluation. If a person is in doubt about whether the cut they have needs stitches, they should call the doctor for guidance.

Minor burns do not require immediate medical evaluation; however, call a health care professional if there is any doubt.

Injuries to the hand causing the following symptoms generally require emergency medical attention at a hospital's emergency department.

• Severe bleeding
• Numbness
• Loss of motion or strength
• Severe pain
• Obvious deformity or amputation
• Any of the signs of infection, such as tenderness, local warmth, redness, swelling, pus, or fever
• Exposure of underlying structures, such as tendons, bones, joints, arteries, veins, or nerves

Seek emergency medical care in these situations:

• Fractures, dislocations, high pressure injuries, and amputations require immediate care.
• Any deep, gaping (open), or dirty cut requires prompt medical care.
• Burns: if the skin is disrupted or if the burn goes completely around a finger, hand, or wrist, seek immediate medical care.

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See the Entire Hand Injuries Topic Guide »