Poked myself with a knife

Poked myself with a knife three weeks ago. Literally the first time ever been cut while skinning.

Knife tip went into knuckle. Bled a ton, but cleaned and put on bandaid. Was pretty much fully healed in four days. Two weeks ago noticed knuckle was a bit swolen, like it had some fluid in it, and a bit sore.

Now no more swelling, but still a bit sore to touch every so often.

Never had a healed cut act like that. I guess the knife tip hit the bone or something.

Anyone ever had any long term effects from such a stupid small thing like that? Tetanus and everything up to date.

I recently did the same thing, cut through my glove and into fingertip, bled good. I put new glove on and finished up, then washed it good, antibacterial, and band aid, hope i dont get the coon AIDS.

I once new a guy that did the same thing with a knife puncture..he got some kind of a blood infection out of the deal and it killed him..not sure if he had a tetenous shot or not..maybe it would have helped... maybe not..

Never done that, but I do notice that even little nicks I get when Im skinning tend to take a while to heal, and get red and sore.

Perhaps you touched a nerve ending or something...A tetanus shot would not be a bad idea..

Yep, I dug into the base of my thumb with the carpet hook blade I use to make opening cuts. At first it bled like crazy until I put some pressure on it. Then it started bleeding under the skin and swelled up. I was kind of nervous because it was a very dirty blade and with it being tiny slit and deep puncture I couldn't really clean it out very well. After a couple of days my thumb started getting kind of dull sore and achy when I moved it. But I just ignored it until it finally went away. I solve a lot of problems that way.

I was boarding coon some years back and ran a 3/4 inch stretcher tack through my thumb. didn't seem to hurt things to much but now i crave sweets.

watch it close if you start to see a red line in your hand where you cut it , get to a doctor

Many years ago I was fleshing a calf hide (reason for death unknown) for rawhide. Nicked a finger, not badly with a knife. By early that evening it was red and swollen big time. An hour later I had a red line running up my wrist so I headed for the Doc. By the time I got in and examined I was told I already had a lump in my armpit and I was very lucky to have gotten attention as it was moving so quickly. They shot me up with all kinds of stuff, not knowing what that fairly bad hide contained or what the calf had died from.. Lived to tell about it and old Moosetrot dodged another bullet.

Moosetrot

Had a friend get a staff infection the very same way, ended up losing the finger to the knuckle.

I'd have your Doctor give his opinion!

Now you guys have me worried about bein bit by a possum last week.

Your healthcare is free I'd use it

I get fingers that swell up after cleaning a pile of fish or when poked by a dorsal fin , had it once or twice when I poked myself with the knife tip skinning also.


I get the water as hot as I can stand it in a bowl and mix in Epsom salts till it won't take any more 2-3 times a day I stick that finger or hand in the bowl hold it in as long as I can stand it , pull it out as soon as I can stand it again back in till the water cools I am cheap so I keep the bowl in the microwave and just heat it up to get a full days use from it.

1-2 days it almost always takes care of those fingers that swell form small cuts.

had a sliver in my foot this year it got infected , poked it with a sterilized needle and pushed the puss out and same treatment 3x a day was good in 3-4 days

Any knife cut I get I treat the same, wash it out with soap and water,dry well and put on black salve then put on bandage overnight. That drawing salve really seems to work

If the wound is still somewhat open, yet infected, you cold use a bread-milk poultice to draw out the swelling.

I always wash out cuts/ripped skin good with dettol-even some bad ones that should likely have had stitches.Also wash each time changing bandages-never had a problem.Always keep a bottle of dettol at the cabins and home.

You can do a lot of things but if it was me I’d go to the Dr. to play it safe. It aint worth the chance, we ain't 10 foot tall and bullet proof anymore.

Boco
Do you take your dettol neat, on the rocks?
or with a chaser?

Strait up.

Yep, me too.

Go to the doctor. Infections in joints are no laughing matter but better when treated early. Hopefully you just hit a nerve but a doc can tell you for sure.

I was in a haste skinning a pile of coon, holding knife while popping tail bones out. Got a real bad thumb cut, bled hard... bolted to the house washed it out. Wrapped in gauze and duct taped in hard. When back to pelting my coons. What a pain it was trying to trap and keep it clean for the next many weeks on the water line! We take for granted how fast you can get hurt when you you get careless trying to run hard....

I just pour alcohol, then peroxide, then superglue it shut.
Disclaimer: Don’t open Superglue with your mouth and good hand!!!! Either use wounded hand or have someone else do it!

I find that puncture wounds heal differently and I think the infection risk is a bit higher then a normal cut. Probably should play it safe then sorry and see if a doc cant look at it. Maybe even some sort of telehealth appointment and show them on your smart phone so you dont have to risk going to the hospital and catching the rona.

I ran a Havalon straight through my thumb, below the knuckle, while cutting the windpipe of a deer. Wrapped it tight with a piece of handkerchief and electrical tape. Kept hunting. When I got home, cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide, and covered with Neosporin. I healed without any infection, but I did damage the nerve a bit. Lost a little bit of feeling in the thumb.

Indians here get stabbed in the stomach and walk home to drink some whiskey and you guys are worried about a poked finger? Lol. Pour some rubbing alcohol on the booboo and you’ll be fine!

JP, does the whiskey shoot out the stab wound like in the cartoons?

What do you expect from people that call pickerel walleyes?

I skinned out a deer head for a guy it was slightly rotten I scraped my knuckle while doing it. Everything seemed ok till I woke up 4 days later with my finger so swollen I could bend it with my hand red partway up my arm went to the quick care. The doctor told me that I was about to get very sick and gave me a shot in the rear that hurt like heck. They marked the red area with a pen and said if it spread any to go to the emergency room. About 4 hours later I got very sick but by morning was feeling better. Two days later they gave me another shot even though I begged them not to. I have never had a shot hurt that bad. I am more careful now. Blood poisoning is nothing to mess with.

... looks I’ve stumbled into the “cry room “

.. put some snuff on it lol

This is a safe space Savell....

LOL That is funny but I know you are serious. I've seen the same thing here. One guy had his girlfriend stick an ax in his chest. They had to finish the jug before getting medical help.

What were you skinning ? Keep a close eye for red streaks although if you had blood poisoning I think that would have shown up by now.

BUT....Echinococcosis is quite prevalent in your part of the country. Mine too for that matter. Had a friend who poked his finger while skinning a wolf. He nearly died and almost lost his hand. Months of medical treatment and scraping dead tissue off his finger bones.

I think I'd be soaking that hand in Epsom salts and hot water . If it doesn't get better get professional help sooner rather than later

Good idea make an appointment quick, they should be able to get you in in 4-6 weeks to see some quack that'll get you all fixed up.

anyone use Betadine / providone-iodine

I have been thinking about getting some years ago when I crushed the end of my thumb off when that is what they soaked my hand in

they had a stainless steel bowl poured what looked like Iodine but called it Betadine and saline in the bowel and had me soak my hand in it

they could not stitch it the hole end was hamburger and bone was shattered so the ER cleaned it good with the betadine bandaged it up and sent me home with a splint over it

many people would recognize it as the yellowish brown stuff they put on your arm before taking blood

Usually, when I start skinning I pour some Clorox into water in a stainless steel bowl. It sits on the stove until I am done. Even if I don't cut myself I can still wash my hands when I am done

Used a lot of Betadine when learning how to shoe horses. Got it from vet supply. If you quicked a horse with a nail, you used a needle and syringe to put it up the nail hole.
Was also good for nail rips and pricks and hoof knife cuts on yourself. Neatest thing I learned was you don't die or get lockjaw from getting horse crap in open cuts.

X 2

I would absolutely NOT close the wound.. Leave it open and let it drain

I seem to always have cuts on my hands and they always feel more tender when they happen while skinning coyotes or cleaning fish. I’ve cut myself a bunch of times skinning. Get in a hurry and lose focus for a second and bam, there goes the tip of my finger. Usually just wrap a paper towel around it so I don’t bleed all over the furs and finish up the job, then clean it with some peroxide when I get to the house. I’ve been lucky, no weird diseases or blood poisoning yet.

Thanks guys for the replies.

I have demolished myself in other ways before, I mean, I have had injuries, but you never know when a stupid little thing screws you up.

The cut is totally healed over. Healed really fast, like, in four days.

Just odd that it still hurts a bit inside, and that it swelled up and developed fluid a week later. You hear of these stupid bone infections and stuff. After all the stuff I did it would suck to go down from a poke in the finger.

I was skinning a beaver.

I literally have not cut myself before while skinning. Got all that out of the way running around in the bush with a knife as a kid. lol