Presentation
Motorcycle accident. Direct trauma to the hand. Right hand pain.
Patient Data
Radiographs revealed 4th and 5th metacarpal base fractures.
There is soft tissue swelling on the whole hand, markedly around the patient's ring.
Case Discussion
This case illustrates the importance of jewelry removal.
The hand is prone to great swelling following trauma. Without proper removal, jewelry can act as a tourniquet and risk blood supply to extremities.
In the present case, the patient's ring was not removed after the trauma. By the time of the physical examination, there was considerable edema around the ring on the 4th finger, which was showing signs of ischemia already. The ring was then removed using soap and proper blood supply to the finger was restored.
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