glass in finger need some help

[Deerhunter21]

ok so i was flintknapping last night and cut myself. it was bleeding badly so i just washed it quickly and put a bandaid on it. today it hurts whenever i squeeze it and im afraid i have a piece of glass in it. what do i do?

[YosemiteBen]

Take the wraps off and squeeze from the bottom up, make it bleed again, good chance there is some left in there. Been there, done that.

[1442]

you need to get it out somehow. Sonner is better than later.
I would spread open the cut and try to get a visual of it then determine a method to extract it.
you may be able to probe the cut area and see if you can feel the piece of glass and determine where it's at if you don't see anything.
I always try to do that and remove the piece ASAP before it starts to swell or heal.
Good luck with it, I hope it comes out easy and heals well and fast.

[Deerhunter21]

Any thoughts?

[Deerhunter21]

I cant see it but i feel something. I dont know if its tje cut or some glass. Im getting worried though.

[jareddchazen]

Working with glass on a daily basis, that happens often. Really only way is to pry it open and either squeeze it out or pull it out. Unfortunately, that cut going across, you can't get the best squeeze without more damage IF there is still glass in there. Sometimes I've had to use my utility knife to open up a cut even more.

Only other thing I can recommend, torniquet the finger, pull open the cut, use tweezers. You'll probably need a helper. It sucks, but it works...I know from personal experience.

[Hawkdancer]

Keep it clean.  You probably will need a helper, or a medic, it is a 3 handed job.  Sometimes those little slivers work in instead of out.
Hawkdancer

[Deerhunter21]

Visited a friend thats a nurse. She said to not pull the glass out but ro keep the cut clean and to let it grow out.

[Wolfmanjack]

If you can’t get it out yourself then go to your doc.  I have removed glass from patients that has been embedded for years following car accidents.  If it doesn’t come out now you’ll have to get it out later.  Contrary to what the nurse says it probably won’t “grow out”.

[Deerhunter21]

i dont know. the piece of glass ( if there even is one ) is very small. and Ive had a piece of rock grow out. what I guess im trying to say is there might not even be a piece of glass. its not too deep. ugh. i dont know.

[1442]

No way I would take a chance of it healing over with a piece of glass in it.
When it's fresh and still bleeding is the best time to fiddle with it and see if you can feel the glass still poking you or not. 

[jareddchazen]

"Growing out" will only work if it's still in the upper layers of skin, common with wood slivers. If it bled a lot, it's well beyond that point.

[bjrogg]

I usually tease it out with a sewing needle.
Bjrogg

[Pat B]

Try using the tip of your tongue to feel for the glass shard. I do this with splinters, wood and metal that I can't see but know they are there.

[Deerhunter21]

im trying to open it up now.