Korean Job Discussion Forums

tacon101 · Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Location: seoul

so i cut myself with an exacto knife, but i'm not a good judge of injuries

i'm also not a fan of stitches, but it's a pretty nasty cut

if anyone could please help me figure out if i should head over to a hospital or just let it heal by itself i'd really be thankful

i can't upload a picture on to the post, but i could email one

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rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Get thee to the hospital, it'll need stitches, or may become infected.
Should be pretty self explanatory once you pitch up:)

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

i think if you have to ask, go to thehospital. at worse then, you accidentally pay an extra bill and lose some sleep. the other way, well, you get gangrene or something nasty like that and chop it off.... hmmmm

mole · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Act III

Last time I lacerated myself opening a can of Campbell's beef stew,
I ran to the local Family Mart & got a box of Bandaids and Hydrogen Peroxide.
In Korean, ��ȭ��
For after care, use Fucidin. Kind of like triple antibiotic ointment.

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

I'd go see a doctor if I were you. I cut the tip of my finger a few years ago. It was a pretty small crescent-shaped cut, maybe 1/8 of an inch, so I didn't bother to get stitches. I wish I had gotten stitches because a pretty big scar formed as it healed.

tacon101 · Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Location: seoul

thanks for the input

the biggest problem is that i don't really have time to go to the hospital today and really needed the sleep last night

my roommate came home and patched it up with some neo and a makeshift bandaid (one mega bandaid from cotton and 3 small bandaids)

so a few new question:

i heard before that you should get stitches no more than 12 hours after the wound...any truth to that?

i heard vaseline and honey (not mixed, but either on their own) help to heal cuts extra fast...again any truth? real life testamonials?

peppermint · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:31 pm Post subject:

I don't know about the vaseline and honey, but I've always heard that superglue is a good temporary substitue for stitches.

VanIslander · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:37 pm Post subject:

peony · Joined: 30 Mar 2005

maybe but it'd hurt like a beech on an already painful wound when it comes time to take it off... i wouldnt go with the superglue..

i once thought i might need stitches as i had a huge gash on my hand from a glass breaking around it whilst washing dishes.. it turned out ok although i do have a wart looking scar now

kermo · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:52 pm Post subject:

Ouch. If it's an Exacto knife, it's probably a slice, not a tear, right? In that case, you're not likely to have a significant scar, and if it's no longer bleeding, I would just keep it very clean and not worry too much. Stitches will help stop the bleeding and keep it from splitting open if it's on a stretchy bit of your hand.

Honey is not likely to be sterile, and sugar is an invitation to all sorts of bacterial and fungal growth. Skip the honey, and stick with medicinal oitments.

I sliced off the top of my finger earlier this year, and found that even though I don't know too much Korean ("potato... hurt yesterday night.... a lot of blood!") I had no trouble getting what I needed the next morning at a pharmacy. I merely waved my blood-soaked bandaged appendage around and they got the idea. As it turns out, what I needed was a trip to the emergency room, since the bandages were removed, more were applied, but I just stood there soaking through them and dripping on their floor. The sweet ajumma sent me down the street to a clinic for some first aid. I soaked through a number of their bandages before a lovely nurse put me in a taxi and told it to get me to the hospital.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor, just very clumsy.

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

I could see how vaseline might help stop the bleeding. Actually i've heard somebody recommend chap stick for sealing shaving nicks. You definitely want some kind of anti-infection substance, like triple antibiotic cream (Neosporin is the US brand name, don't know if they have it here).

pet lover · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: not in Seoul

If blood is gushing out to the same rhythm as your heartbeat, GO to the hospital. That's my rule.

peppermint · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject:

I was told about the superglue during a first aid course actually, for situations where you're camping or whatever. It's supposed to just flake off as the wound heals.

huck · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

If you wait, they won't be able to sew it up. That happened to me in university. I cut my finger at night, was too tired to go, so I just wrapped it up tight, went the next morning, and they said it was too late....the skin changes or something.

canuckistan · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:48 pm Post subject:

I did a nice one to my index finger last year with broken glass that was in a cup I had plunged my hand into to wash out. Confused

It was late at night as well and I didn't want to do an emergency room adventure for stitches even though I should have.
If you don't think you need to go (ie: the bleeding has slowed down)
just keep it clean, dry and as immobile as possible until the skin is closed and then some. Antibiotic ointment only--pharmacy can help you out with that. Butterfly-shaped bandage can help keep the wound closed too.