Urgent Care for Minor Injuries Q&A

The severity of a hand injury or condition relies on many factors. Your perception of severity differs depending on what you’re using as a comparison. For example, if a wrist fracture is compared to liver failure, the condition is minor. However, it may seem more major if a wrist fracture is compared to common hand ailments, such as early carpal tunnel.
 
Factors that indicate the actual severity of an issue, specifically in the hand and arm, are the extent and frequency of symptoms, measurements taken from scans or manual tools, and the extent of tissue damage present. Of course, this influences treatment options as well as recovery.
 
For example, carpal tunnel in the early stages can be treated without surgery, using a combination of behavior modifications, anti-inflammatory medication, and wearing a splint. The same is said for Basilar Thumb Arthritis, DeQuervain’s Tendonitis, etc. Various injections may also help some conditions. Full recovery is usually seen in 4 to 6 weeks for minor hand and wrist fractures. Overall, conditions relating to the hand are often minor but can progress to severe stages.

Many considerations are taken into account when determining the severity of an injury. The most severe injuries threaten vital functions needed for living, such as blood circulation and blood oxygenation. Two tools used to determine the severity of an injury, often in the event of a trauma, are the AIS, abbreviated injury scale, and the ISS injury severity scale. The use of the injury severity scale (ISS) is based upon gradings presented in the abbreviated injury scale (AIS).
 
The AIS has 6 scores: 1 = minor; 2 = moderate; 3 = serious; 4 = severe; 5 = critical and 6 = maximum or un-survivable. The ISS divides the body into regions, head/neck, face, chest, abdomen, extremities (arms and legs), and external, to be scored using the AIS grading system. For perspective, amputation of one hand would be graded a 2.
 
Aside from this overall grading system, each condition has its own. For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, there are three stages: mild, moderate, and severe. The experienced symptoms determine the stage. You will feel mild numbness or tingling in the mild stage and will likely have decreased strength in the affected arm. Pain, itching, and soreness may also occur. In the moderate stage, you will notice your symptoms continue throughout your day rather than only being present during the night. The symptoms mentioned above will feel more prominent and constant. In the severe stage, the symptoms would feel extreme, pain is often the primary complaint, and loss of temperature sensation may occur.
 
Similarly, trigger finger has four classifications: Grade I, II, III, and IV. Again, these grades are characterized by signs and symptoms, tenderness, catching, inability to flex finger, and fixed contracture, respectively. Alternatively, stages may be classified by measurements taken from medical imaging, seen with Basilar Thumb Arthritis. At Florida Hand Center, we are passionate about providing a well-informed, easeful patient experience. Our leading hand surgeons are here and ready to discuss your concerns, from diagnosis to treatment to recovery.

Florida Hand Center is the only hand-focused specialized medical center from Tampa, FL to Miami, FL. Fortunately, we have convenient locations. Our first and primary location is in Port Charlotte at 18344 Murdock Circle. Our newest location is in Fort Myers at 13710 Metropolis Ave., Suite 103.
 
You may request an appointment online or by phone with one of our leading hand surgeons. Alternatively, you may use our virtual assistant or send a text through our website if you have questions. We are committed to providing you quality care and can’t wait to hear from you, so please do not hesitate to contact us! We serve patients from Port Charlotte FL, Fort Myers FL, Punta Gorda FL, Estero FL, Murdock FL, Charlotte Harbor FL, Harbour Heights FL, Cape Coral FL, Lake Suzy FL, and Solana FL.