After work, you’re in the kitchen preparing dinner for your family. While chopping vegetables, the knife slips and you cut your finger. What should you do now? Does the cut require stitches?
We’re often inclined to try and treat injuries at home, but many times, emergency care is necessary for injuries that may seem less serious than they actually are.
Some of the most common injuries seen in the emergency room include:
- Ankle, foot, hand and wrist injuries
- Head injuries
- Knee injuries
- Lacerations
- Injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents
Though not every case of an injury listed above requires a trip to the ER, there are signs and symptoms for each that mean emergency treatment should be obtained.
Ankle, Foot, Hand and Wrist Injuries
If you've injured your ankle, foot, hand or wrist, it’s important to determine whether the injury is a sprain or fracture.
Severe pain, swelling and bruising are shared symptoms between sprains and fractures, so if there is any possibility that you have a fracture, seek out a doctor as soon as possible. Delayed or improper treatment of fractures can lead to long-term issues like repeat injuries, arthritis and weakness.
Head Injuries
Head injuries are serious and can be extremely dangerous if not treated properly. A traumatic brain injury (TBI), like a concussion, contusion or hematoma, can be caused by a sports-related hit, a fall or any occurrence where an injury to the head is caused by trauma.
Symptoms of a TBI, often a concussion, include: confusion, dizziness, headache, memory loss, fuzzy vision, sensitivity to light or noise, a sluggish or tired feeling or a clear or bloody fluid from the nose, or ears or mouth. If you experience any of these symptoms after a head injury it is extremely important to seek immediate medical care.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries can be caused by a wide range of activities in daily life, including sports, falls and exercise. Often, sore knees can be treated at home, but seek emergency treatment for any of the following signs: obvious deformity in the knee or leg; inability to bear weight on the leg; extreme pain; or immediate swelling, numbness or tingling below the knee.
Lacerations
It can be hard to determine whether or not a laceration needs stitches or emergency care, as many injuries can be treated at home with bandages and home remedies. However, be sure to seek emergency treatment if the cut is deep or at a joint, the cut is bleeding severely or blood is spurting, you cannot get the cut clean, the laceration is from an animal bite, or if bleeding can’t be stopped within 10 minutes while firm and steady pressure is applied.
Injuries Sustained in Motor Vehicle Accidents
All of the previously listed injuries can occur as the result of a motor vehicle accident, including sprains, fractures, TBIs and lacerations. If you’re injured in a motor vehicle accident, watch your injuries closely for signs that emergency treatment is necessary.
If you are injured and require emergency care, head to Highland Park Emergency Center, a free-standing emergency room right in your neighborhood. They have the equipment and doctors to take X-rays and other tests like a hospital emergency room, but are less crowded and much faster than a traditional emergency room so you can get home sooner. Highland Park Emergency Room is open 24-hours a day and has admitting privileges with nearby hospitals if the injury requires a longer stay.
Highland Park Emergency Center is located at 5150 Lemmon Ave., Suite 108, in Dallas. You can also call the emergency center at 214-443-8131. No appointments are necessary.
Highland Park Emergency Center
214-443-8131
5150 Lemmon Ave Suite 108
Dallas, Texas 75209
highlandparker.com