Broke my finger. Xray please.
May 14, 2008 2:40 PM Subscribe
I may have broken my finger...can't get an xray. help!
I hurt my finger last week playing basketball. I went to the dr and he said it may be broken, but scheduled an appt for me to visit the radiologist. So I went today and problem: I am a new employee at my company, and don't have an id number. My boss said just use my SSN and group number. but the radiology place won't let me do that. They won't even let me pay for the xray and get reimbursed. I called the insurance company and they have no record of me. They said I have to get my employer to contact the broker. I rescheduled the appt for tomorrow, but I am worried the id number won't come through in time. what can I do? I need to know if my finger is broken. Can I go to the hospital and just give them the group number? This is so frustrating.
I hurt my finger last week playing basketball. I went to the dr and he said it may be broken, but scheduled an appt for me to visit the radiologist. So I went today and problem: I am a new employee at my company, and don't have an id number. My boss said just use my SSN and group number. but the radiology place won't let me do that. They won't even let me pay for the xray and get reimbursed. I called the insurance company and they have no record of me. They said I have to get my employer to contact the broker. I rescheduled the appt for tomorrow, but I am worried the id number won't come through in time. what can I do? I need to know if my finger is broken. Can I go to the hospital and just give them the group number? This is so frustrating.
Do you have an HR rep in your company that can deal with this? That's what they're for. They should be able to give you proof of insurance.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:54 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:54 PM on May 14, 2008
Response by poster: it's a small company, just my boss.
posted by sweetkid at 2:54 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by sweetkid at 2:54 PM on May 14, 2008
You should splint the finger straight, so it can't move or droop, in the meantime. ASAP. And don't take the splint off at all (to shower or sleep), just leave it alone until you can get a doctor to look at it. (If it's like the recent broken finger in my household)
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:59 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:59 PM on May 14, 2008
Yes, splint the finger, right now. Use a popsicle stick and twine if you have to.
Then explain it to your boss in the morning and and ask who you need to call/what you need to do to, erm, straighten it out.
posted by Pants! at 3:37 PM on May 14, 2008
Then explain it to your boss in the morning and and ask who you need to call/what you need to do to, erm, straighten it out.
posted by Pants! at 3:37 PM on May 14, 2008
Follow the advice above (and probably below) but also do this: calm down.
"I need to know if my finger is broken." -- if you don't already know that it's broken, it's probably not a big deal. You don't have a finger going in a weird angle where it shouldn't, you don't have bone sticking out through the skin, you can, apparently, type reasonably well... you have a small fracture.
Assuming it's broken, the doctor is going to x-ray it, splint it, and send your insurance company a nice bill. This is not something to stress out about.
posted by toomuchpete at 4:07 PM on May 14, 2008
"I need to know if my finger is broken." -- if you don't already know that it's broken, it's probably not a big deal. You don't have a finger going in a weird angle where it shouldn't, you don't have bone sticking out through the skin, you can, apparently, type reasonably well... you have a small fracture.
Assuming it's broken, the doctor is going to x-ray it, splint it, and send your insurance company a nice bill. This is not something to stress out about.
posted by toomuchpete at 4:07 PM on May 14, 2008
If you don't have a splint, just tape it to the bigger finger next to it and be careful with it. That's what I was told when I broke my finger as a kid. By a doctor. My finger works fine now.
posted by LunaticFringe at 4:10 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by LunaticFringe at 4:10 PM on May 14, 2008
If you just go to a random hospital or ER and it's not in your insurance's plan, or they don't give you permission to do so, you'll have to pay for it. Splint it or tape it to its neighbor and wait until tomorrow.
(I had a friend who broke her elbow and after having it x-rayed, was told to come back in two days to have it set, because there was too much swelling to do it right then. You'll be okay. I'm sorry this was so frustrating - that sucks.)
posted by rtha at 4:19 PM on May 14, 2008
(I had a friend who broke her elbow and after having it x-rayed, was told to come back in two days to have it set, because there was too much swelling to do it right then. You'll be okay. I'm sorry this was so frustrating - that sucks.)
posted by rtha at 4:19 PM on May 14, 2008
I broke a bone in my hand pretty badly (the one behind the knuckle of the little finger), and by the time I got to the doctor, he said that there was nothing he could do because it had begun to set - other than rebreak it and set it. For a while it looked like I had an extra knuckle, but it fixed itself in time and now there's no trace. I have also broken toes and had them fix themselves.
In short, if it's not badly broken as toomuchpete said above, you'll probably be just fine, and if it was a week ago it's well on it's way fixing itself, the xray will only confirm what you suspect. I am, of course, not a doctor, but I do believe that these sorts of small injuries sort themselves out pretty well as long as infection is not involved.
posted by tomble at 5:00 PM on May 14, 2008
In short, if it's not badly broken as toomuchpete said above, you'll probably be just fine, and if it was a week ago it's well on it's way fixing itself, the xray will only confirm what you suspect. I am, of course, not a doctor, but I do believe that these sorts of small injuries sort themselves out pretty well as long as infection is not involved.
posted by tomble at 5:00 PM on May 14, 2008
IANAD, but I broke my finger (badly) a couple of years ago. The hospital just taped it to the larger finger next to it, using surgical tape, both above and below the knuckle joint. Their advice was that the finger needs to flex at the joint as it heals. When you eventually see a doctor, they will probably say the same thing (I saw several different ones, who repeated the same advice - I even had to do exercises to make sure the finger stayed flexible at the joints as it healed). Don't panic - when I was x-rayed, I was also told that I had obviously broken another finger years before, but that most finger breaks don't tend to cause any problems and heal on their own unless they have multiple fractures (which my recent break had). From your description, this sounds like a simple fracture. Until you see a medical professional, I would suggest that you tape your finger to the next finger (the larger of the two adjoining fingers) above and below the knuckle joint with some adhesive surgical tape from the local drugstore. Tape it tightly enough to give support, but not so tightly that you restrict the blood supply! You should also know that your local hospital emergency department might help if you can't get treatment any other way. My local ED was willing to help -- and they did not ask if I had insurance until after x-raying the finger!
posted by Susurration at 5:36 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by Susurration at 5:36 PM on May 14, 2008
Response by poster: thanks all, I am definitely feeling a bit better (and splinted it). Yeah, no strange angles, just pain and difficulty straightening.
posted by sweetkid at 6:55 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by sweetkid at 6:55 PM on May 14, 2008
Best answer: Ok, so WEMT in the heezy here. I am not a doctor, I am not your WEMT, and we are not in the wilderness. However, I've set my fair share of broken/dislocated fingers in my lifetime.
Where is it damaged? The joint where it joins your hand? In the bones between the joints? Which joint hurts?
Generally, when splinting you immobilize the joint ABOVE and BELOW the injury. For a finger this isn't always possible, but your splint should extend well down your palm and across the back of your hand. Buddy tape to the finger adjacent, and put tape across your hand to keep you from moving it, even accidentally. (Does that make sense? Your splint comes down across the back of your hand and into your palm. Taping the finger AND the hand completely immobilizes the finger.)
Now, if you tell me it's the joint that joins your hand, I'm going to suggest a "stove" and not a "break" or "fracture." Sort of regardless, the general treatment is the same. Would that I were you, I would pull traction on it (pull slowly and firmly in the natural direction of the bone) to make sure the bones are aligned and/or to relocate the joint. Often for a finger you want to support the hand as you do this. You'll generally say "ZOMG HOLY FUCK THAT SOrt of feels better now...." as the pain goes from extreme to bearable.
Note that I'm not advising you to pull traction on your own finger (but it's really easy and I've done it 3 times to myself, lol.), but often it's all that's needed to really provide some more comfort. DO NOT DO THIS if the finger is extremely swollen or sausagey, as it's already trying to splint itself and you'll fuck it up with a quickness if you try to argue with your body.
After you do (or don't) do this, go ahead and splint 'er up. Unless you completely broke the shit out of it the doctor won't do anything any different if you didn't hurt your wrist or thumb too. Pick an NSAID (I'm partial to Naproxen) and ice/rest/splint 'er up.
posted by TomMelee at 7:24 PM on May 14, 2008
Where is it damaged? The joint where it joins your hand? In the bones between the joints? Which joint hurts?
Generally, when splinting you immobilize the joint ABOVE and BELOW the injury. For a finger this isn't always possible, but your splint should extend well down your palm and across the back of your hand. Buddy tape to the finger adjacent, and put tape across your hand to keep you from moving it, even accidentally. (Does that make sense? Your splint comes down across the back of your hand and into your palm. Taping the finger AND the hand completely immobilizes the finger.)
Now, if you tell me it's the joint that joins your hand, I'm going to suggest a "stove" and not a "break" or "fracture." Sort of regardless, the general treatment is the same. Would that I were you, I would pull traction on it (pull slowly and firmly in the natural direction of the bone) to make sure the bones are aligned and/or to relocate the joint. Often for a finger you want to support the hand as you do this. You'll generally say "ZOMG HOLY FUCK THAT SOrt of feels better now...." as the pain goes from extreme to bearable.
Note that I'm not advising you to pull traction on your own finger (but it's really easy and I've done it 3 times to myself, lol.), but often it's all that's needed to really provide some more comfort. DO NOT DO THIS if the finger is extremely swollen or sausagey, as it's already trying to splint itself and you'll fuck it up with a quickness if you try to argue with your body.
After you do (or don't) do this, go ahead and splint 'er up. Unless you completely broke the shit out of it the doctor won't do anything any different if you didn't hurt your wrist or thumb too. Pick an NSAID (I'm partial to Naproxen) and ice/rest/splint 'er up.
posted by TomMelee at 7:24 PM on May 14, 2008
If you just go to a random hospital or ER and it's not in your insurance's plan, or they don't give you permission to do so, you'll have to pay for it.
God bless America.
IAMNAD but there's one standing over my shoulder as I type this. As others have said, splinting it by taping it to the next finger is very easy (especially if someone else helps you do this. Add a stiff stick or board (tongue depresser? emery board?) if you need something to stop you from bending it accidentally. All you need to do is keep it straight as it knits.
There are diagrams on exactly how to do the things TomMelee explains on the internet somewhere, too, but my google-fu is failing me. First Aid and camping/hiking sites or something.... damn.
posted by rokusan at 7:36 PM on May 14, 2008
God bless America.
IAMNAD but there's one standing over my shoulder as I type this. As others have said, splinting it by taping it to the next finger is very easy (especially if someone else helps you do this. Add a stiff stick or board (tongue depresser? emery board?) if you need something to stop you from bending it accidentally. All you need to do is keep it straight as it knits.
There are diagrams on exactly how to do the things TomMelee explains on the internet somewhere, too, but my google-fu is failing me. First Aid and camping/hiking sites or something.... damn.
posted by rokusan at 7:36 PM on May 14, 2008
Best answer: If it's the final segment of finger that's drooping, like you can't lift it straight, that's "mallet finger" and comes from breaking the tendon that runs along the top of the finger and normally would lift the last segment to straightness. (Bone might also be broken, but the droop comes from the broken tendon) This is what happened in my household a few weeks ago. The doctor's advice was: splint firmly, with a straight splint piece along the TOP of the finger, and be sure the drooping segment is held up as much as possible. For the tendon to heal properly (so you stop drooping) it needs to be held immobile, since any jostling can re-snap the healing tendon. Had to wear the splint (small, unobtrusive) for 5 weeks without taking it off at all, lest it be jostled.
So the advice varies depending what kind of injury it is - TomMelee says for some you want to be able to bend it, but for the mallet finger you absolutely don't want that.
Also, helpful tip -- However you splint it, be sure you can see the skin at the end of the finger, so you can watch for color changes to see if it's getting enough blood.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:11 PM on May 14, 2008
So the advice varies depending what kind of injury it is - TomMelee says for some you want to be able to bend it, but for the mallet finger you absolutely don't want that.
Also, helpful tip -- However you splint it, be sure you can see the skin at the end of the finger, so you can watch for color changes to see if it's getting enough blood.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:11 PM on May 14, 2008
be sure you can see skin at the *tip* of the finger, that is; the end with the nail.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:12 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:12 PM on May 14, 2008
Response by poster: I think it is mallet finger. It's definitely the final segment of finger.
My mom, a dr, thinks it might be this:
Central slip extensor tendon injury (may cause a boutonnière deformity over time)
Symptoms:
Tender at dorsal aspect of the PIP joint (middle phalanx)
Inability to actively extend the PIP joint (middle joint)
I'm taping it right now. The last joint is extremely stiff.
posted by sweetkid at 8:38 PM on May 14, 2008
My mom, a dr, thinks it might be this:
Central slip extensor tendon injury (may cause a boutonnière deformity over time)
Symptoms:
Tender at dorsal aspect of the PIP joint (middle phalanx)
Inability to actively extend the PIP joint (middle joint)
I'm taping it right now. The last joint is extremely stiff.
posted by sweetkid at 8:38 PM on May 14, 2008
mallet finger images -- "media file 3" toward the bottom of that page is the kind of splinting we had to do. The doc pushed the drooping bit up (toward straightness and even a bit beyond) as far as it would go and taped it very firmly.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:23 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:23 PM on May 14, 2008
My broken finger story: back in the 7th grade, my friend and I were being stupid during Gym class taking turns body slamming each other. Somehow, I managed to hurt my left pinky in one of these slams. I remember that it really hurt for the rest of the afternoon, but for some reason I didn't even imagine it was broken. I think there was pain for a day afterward, but eventually it went away.
Months or years later, I look at my finger and it's...crooked. Palm down, my fingers look normal, but with my palm facing me, fingers bent like I'm inspecting my nails, my little pinky shifts 45 degrees from the last knuckle. I had broken my finger and didn't even realize it for the longest time. I've got no problem whatsoever with movement, just a good show-and-tell at bars. So depending on where your finger is injured, it could be no problem at all. But don't listen to me, see a doctor.
posted by zardoz at 12:14 AM on May 15, 2008
Months or years later, I look at my finger and it's...crooked. Palm down, my fingers look normal, but with my palm facing me, fingers bent like I'm inspecting my nails, my little pinky shifts 45 degrees from the last knuckle. I had broken my finger and didn't even realize it for the longest time. I've got no problem whatsoever with movement, just a good show-and-tell at bars. So depending on where your finger is injured, it could be no problem at all. But don't listen to me, see a doctor.
posted by zardoz at 12:14 AM on May 15, 2008
Response by poster: In case anyone was wondering, it's broken. Boo.
posted by sweetkid at 7:34 PM on May 28, 2008
posted by sweetkid at 7:34 PM on May 28, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sweetkid at 2:46 PM on May 14, 2008