freak accident! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

sk071077 · 09-05-2009, 08:13 PM

Well heres what happened. It was yesterday about 3:30. I was up on a 6' ladder holding one end of a 16' 2x6 for fascia, My brother on the other end. It was the last piece of the job. I dont know exactly what happened but as I went to shoot it either my ladder or my foot must have slipped! The gun went off and shot straight through the middle of my ring finger bone and all, just above my hand and it came out my palm! It drove my hand against the board and pinned it there! I never felt so f***ed in my life.

I yelled and told my brother DON'T DROP THE BOARD! I threw the gun down and we both slowly walked down our ladders. I had him hand me the skill saw and i cut a 1' chunk off. I sat down and analized the situation and realized i needed to goo to the emergency room. I sat in the waiting room for 40 min with the wood stuck to my hand. Then they called me for an x ray. Thats when they saw it went dead center through the middle of the bone. The doctor himself seemed puzzled about what to do. They offered me morphine but I didnt take it so I could have my head clear and see what they planned to do. The doc talked about pulling it back out the way it came in. I basically told him what to do. I said we have to clip the head of the nail and pull the board off my hand. He called maintenance and the guy walks in holding a pair of klines. I said thats all you got? And the he showed me a pair of side cutters. I said those will work. The doc shot some novacaine in my hand and we pushed my hand down while the maintenance man cut the nail head. Then the doctor and myself held the board down and pryed the nail through my bone. IT TOOK A LOT OF FORCE TO PULL THE NAIL OUT OF THE BONE! They took an xray wrote me a script and discharged me.

One of the reasons I'm writing this is I'm worried about how my hand will heal. Has anyone had experience with anything similar or known someone who has? Did it heal ok? How long did it take? I don't know what I'll do if I can't use this hand for a while.

I took pics but there in my phone.

Tom R · 09-05-2009, 08:26 PM

Damn!!

I don't have any info to help you, - - hopefully someone else will come along who does.

But for everyone else, - - last board, end of day, holiday weekend, - - shame to hear what an even slight lapse of concentration can cause (if that was possibly the case).

Anyway, good luck, - - as bad as it is, I suppose it could have been even worse.

You sure sound like you've got the mind-set to overcome this.

tgeb · 09-05-2009, 08:29 PM

Did the Doc prescribe an anti-biotic or just pain pills? Make sure you get anti-biotics, the pain?
I wouldn't worry about that to much you sound pretty tough.
But infection will eff you up. As long as it don't get infected, I'd say you'll heal fine. Get back to work on Tuesday. Put some ice on it, keep using it, you don't want it to get stiff.

Sorry to hear you got shot.

CookeCarpentry · 09-05-2009, 08:39 PM

Similar situation happened to me about 4 years ago.

Picked up an already ripped sheet of plywood and had a splinter go thru my right hand palm and come out my index finger. Went to the ER, required surgery to remove 7 splinters from my hand, the longest was over 2" and estimated it to be about the same gauge as an 8d nail.

It did NOT hit any bone, but pinched/severed a few nerves. Out of work about 5 days. Had no feeling in my index and pointer finger, part of my thumb and palm for about 3 years.

Best advice (seeing as yours is metal), get a tetanus shot right away (they should have given you one in the ER, unless you had one in the last 3 years). Definitely second the antibiotics, just in case there is a particle of anything still lodged in there, you don't want it to fester, get infected, etc, etc.

Cautiously start using it again so you don't lose mobility. I use to wrap my hand every morning with sterile pads and gauze while the incision healed. Wore gloves almost exclusively for a month or so until it was completely healed.

Eventually got used to the numbness/no feeling. Still have full range of motion which was more important.

Best of luck. Unfortunately, been there, done that.

MALCO.New.York · 09-05-2009, 08:42 PM

You will be just fine bar any Infection.

The hole in the bone will fill.

Stay away from Alcohol and Cigarettes, (and loose Women) for a while!!!

CookeCarpentry · 09-05-2009, 08:47 PM

What's he supposed to do with any time off recovering then???

sk071077 · 09-05-2009, 09:02 PM

Yea I guess I'm not supposed to drink beer while on antibiotics. I read some other posts and don't feel as bad. I guess it happens. I forgot to mention it was a 16 ring shank! Thanks for the advice!

mikec · 09-06-2009, 06:48 AM

I have done it, through my toe. Same deal, but a 12, right through the bone. First off what kind of hack hospital has the maintenance guy help with a patient? I have shot myself twice, and taken two other guys in for it, and never, ever has the doctor called maintenance.
That being said, stay on the anti biotics as long as you are supposed to, and you will heal fine.

mikeswoods · 09-06-2009, 07:15 AM

If you tore it up like it sounds,it will be 6 to 8 weeks before the stiffness and numbness subside.

Bone infection could be a career ender--Take the antibiotics--just do not ignore any infection,please PLEASE PLEASE.

Seen it happen. Good luck

knucklehead · 09-06-2009, 10:03 AM

It is gonna be sore for a while

joshua1 · 09-06-2009, 10:24 AM

Just to add my usual happy missive, I got shot with a nail into the elbow. Yes, it hurt. But the killer was the subsequent infection, despite antibiotic pills. I ended up having to get swembo drive me to the doctor daily for a shot of antibiotics into the hip- after a couple, it was like facing a firing squad each day- I still can't bear to get an injection since. Anyway, that didnt work, and I ended up in hospital for a week getting IV antibiotics. Because a nail penetrates so deeply, and into areas with very poor circulation of blood, oral antibiotics will often not reach the site of infection(in the bone). The best bit was that the nurse told me that dying from blood poisoning was a distinct possibility in a case like this.
So, basically, don't mess about if you notice excessive swelling, heat and pus stuff in the area. And don't fail to complete the course of antibiotics.
Other than that, you should be fine!

joshua1 · 09-06-2009, 10:37 AM

But then again, about three weeks ago we were cleverly hitting the head of a hatchet with a sledge, when a chunk of the hatchet came away at warp speed, and hit my left hand, proceeded through my hand, and stopped when it hit the bone in my wrist. As it had cut an artery on its way through, a fountain of blood like a garden hose sprung up. Wife drove me to A&E (Im a regular there, have my own trolley), large Indian doctor looked at Xray and said"Itl have to come out" and proceeded to delve VERY deeply with a forceps, accompanied by gushing blood. Failed miserably in his attempt, but did create a lot of extra pain. Oh how I thank him.
Got sent to bigger hospital with an actual surgeon who said(after bringing his colleagues around for a look, both at the cut and at the other exotic but healed wounds I have aquired over the years) that there was no way they could go prodding for it - would do more harm than good, just leave it in there and take the antibiotics. So far so good, and it seems to be working its way up to the surface nicely(and quite painfully). So maybe hands are not as hard to heal as elbows.

mmike032 · 09-06-2009, 11:44 AM

Take the meds, I've had blood poisening before although not from a work related injury.
Blood poisening is some bad stuff

cbfx3 · 09-06-2009, 11:56 AM

ouch!

Rockhound · 09-06-2009, 12:42 PM

Neosporin!!!!!!!!!! Keep putting it on to the point you think you're being obsessive. I don't know alot about the bone healing but I know you have to keep ANY kind of bacteria out. I have filleted,yes really filleted, half my thumb and my middle finger almost entirely off (different times) and could not get to the ER in time to do any good. I used Neosporin like you'd use Permatex,no kidding here, and made a 'meat gasket' which kept the wounds clean and healed them incredibly fast.Antibiotics will do a good job from the inside especially if you're keeping it clean on the outside. It sucks that you can't have a cold one on Labor Day weekend but maybe you know someone with something that won't counteract or react badly with any pills you may be taking

Such a thing may help your frazzled nerves too. Happy,hungry,sleepy....thats the possible side effects. No I was not using it when the filleting occurred

J F · 09-06-2009, 12:44 PM

are you up to date on your tetnus?

sk071077 · 09-06-2009, 01:14 PM

yea I got a tetnus shot at the er. I think I have to hire another guy and just supervise for a while from the looks of things. I just gutted someones kitchen last week was supposed to do the install tuesday, its not looking real good. It hurts more today than when it happened. My left hand is pretty much useless right now. Im still not 100% sure exactly how it happened?

MALCO.New.York · 09-06-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk071077

Im still not 100% sure exactly how it happened?

A Momentary Lapse of Vigilance and Procedure.

rbsremodeling · 09-06-2009, 01:41 PM

I read this thread and was really disappointed that you left the job site and went to the hospital without finishing the project.

How old are you?

sk071077 · 09-06-2009, 01:49 PM

im 32 . Trust me I thought about trying to get it out on the job. But I had no way to do it.