Hand & Wrist Laceration

A laceration is a cut or tear in your skin. You may be able to treat your laceration at home. If your laceration is severe or complex, you may need urgent medical attention. Cuts or scrapes, especially on your hands, can lead to infection. Proper care of a laceration includes stopping any bleeding and cleaning the wound, as well as preventing scars and infection.

Diagnosing Hand & Wrist Lacerations

Severe cuts and tears on the skin of your hands and wrists may need medical attention.

Diagnosis

We recommend seeking medical treatment if your laceration is:

• A puncture wound
• Bleeding heavily after five to 10 minutes of direct pressure
• Caused by a dirty or rusty object
• Deeper or longer than ½ inch
• Embedded with dirt, gravel or stones
• From a human or animal bite
• Painful
• Ragged with separated edges
• Showing signs of infection (warm to the touch, red, swelling or draining)

If you have numbness around your laceration or cannot move nearby joints, you need urgent medical attention to rule out a broken bone or injury to your nerves or tendons.

Signs & Symptoms of Infection

To ensure your laceration heals properly and does not become infected, keep your wound clean and dry. Symptoms of infection include:

• Fever
• Foul odor coming from the cut
• Increased pain
• Pus or discharge coming from the cut or scrape
• Redness, swelling or warmth in the affected area

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor for treatment.

Treatments for Hand & Wrist Lacerations

You can rely on the expertise of our orthopedic specialists to manage a serious laceration to your hand or wrist.​ We will quickly evaluate your injury and determine the best course of treatment.

Nonsurgical Treatments

If your cut is bleeding heavily, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth for five to 10 minutes without stopping. If the blood soaks through the original cloth, do not remove it; instead, put an additional cloth on top, using continuous pressure.
 
Additional laceration treatments may include:

• Antibiotics—to treat or prevent infection.
• Antiseptic—to prevent infection.
• Bandaging—to cover the area surrounding the laceration. 
• Cleaning—flush the wound with saline or water.
• Stitches—to hold the edges of your wound together while they heal.
• Tetanus shot—if you haven’t received one in the last five years.

Surgical Treatments

Your orthopedic hand and wrist specialist may recommend surgery if your laceration caused damage to your nerves or bone.