Splinters

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Medical Author:

Clifford Spanierman, MD

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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• Splinters Overview
• Splinters Causes
• Splinters Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Splinters Diagnosis
• Splinters Treatment
• Splinters Self-Care at Home
• Splinters Medical Treatment
• Splinters Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
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Splinters are foreign bodies that are partially or fully embedded in the skin. Splinters usually are wood, but metal, glass, and plastic materials may be considered a splinter.

Sometimes splinters have to be removed by medical professionals, especially splinters that are deeply embedded or lodged under a fingernail or toenail.

Most people with splinters are able to remove them without medical intervention.

• Splinters are usually found when they penetrate the skin-usually in the hand or foot. Almost always, even fully embedded foreign bodies have a unique sensation.
• Splinters are full of germs. If splinters are not removed (or don't work their way out themselves), they may cause an infection or an allergic response.

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