This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Lacerations of the hand

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Tendons and nerves near lacerations have been cut until proved otherwise, particularly if glass is involved.

Underlying damage is easily missed - look carefully for appropriate physical signs & refer to A/E dept:

  • all but the most minor injuries
  • children, when assessment is difficult
  • vascular, tendon and nerve injuries
  • likely fractures
  • wounds requiring immediate surgical treatment

Review later if the patient is drunk (but record details for follow-up in case of failure to attend).

Delayed closure may be necessary if there is extensive tissue damage, contamination or delay.

ref: N Lawrence et al, HB Emergencies in Gen Pract 2e, 1997


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page