eEMERGENCY TREATMENT OF

HAND AND WRIST INJURIES

IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS regarding hand and wrist injuries that need urgent care.

Q. Are Hand and Upper Limb Fractures Common?

A. Fractures of the upper limb represent a majority of fractures that are care for in Emergency Rooms and Departments.  SOURCE

Q. What should I do If I've been seen in a local emergency room for a hand, wrist, forearm  or upper extremity fracture or injury?

A. It is important to follow the ER or ED instructions for  post injury care.  In addition you should arrange for appropriate follow up care with a qualified physician.

 6 important TIPS for delayed  and urgent care of HAND AND WRIST FRACTURES that have been seen in a local ER ...in Western Massachusetts.

1.Contact your PCP.  They can provide interim care  or redirect you.

2. Call us. We like to accommodate potential patients

3. Call the ER back. Often they can advise you over the phone if you've been seen recently

4. Return to the ER where you were seen.  Most ER's will be glad to see you again

5. Call on your own.  There is nothing wrong with seeking care on your own

6. Don't panic.  Many hand and wrist injuries once stabilized in a local ER can be seen safely and effectively at a later date. 

THE HAND CENTER OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

WHILE MOST ERs WILL GIVE A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT  FOR A PHYSICIAN THE WORK WITH, THERE ARE SOME TIMES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A HAND SURGEON ON CALL OR ON STAFF.  IN THOSE CASES YOU SHOULD SEEK OUT A HAND SURGERY GROUP IN THE AREA. WHILE THERE MAY NOT BE AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE RECORDS FROM YOUR ER VISIT CAN BE OBTAINED AND IN MANY CASES AN APPOINTMENT CAN BE GIVEN WITHIN THE PROPER TIME FRAME.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHILE THE ER MAY STRESS BEING SEEN IMMEDIATELY THAT MANY HAND AND WRIST CONDITIONS CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF URGENTLY BUT NOT EMERGENTLY ONCE PROPER ER EMERGENT CARE HAS BEEN GIVEN. 

FOR EXAMPLE, A TENDON LACERATION WHERE THE TENDON IS CUT BUT THE SKIN HAS BEEN SUTURED CAN BE SEEN AT A LATER DATE SOON AFTER BUT DOES NOT NECESSARILY NEED SURGERY THAT SAME or even the next DAY