dislocated fingers

[peter]

What's up Doc

Just a quick question aboot dislocated fingers and diving.
I dislocated two fingers both at the lower nuckle several months ago,although i still have 90 pusscent movement i was wondering aboot the swelling around both joints. I know this is is scar tissue but was wondering if this would interfere with blood flow under pressure. I have dived without any problems since the injury occured, but only shallow (10 mtrs). Do you think this will present any problems at the (30/40) mtr mark. Dont hold back with your answers I'm tough I am willing to chop em off to keep diving.

 

[scubadoc]

Hello Peter:

Answers to questions are for information only, do not imply diagnosis or treatment and should always be used in conjunction with advice from your personal physician.

Please don't chop off any fingers that you might need for vital functions - such as your 'booger picking' or 'message sending' fingers!

Stated simply, Decompression Sickness (DCS) results when there is more inert gas (usually nitrogen) absorbed in the body than is able to remain in solution. In other words, “bubbles” form in body tissues and produce various symptoms. Many different factors seem to influence the occurrence of DCS. One unifying element in these various factors is blood supply – anything that alters tissue blood flow (such as age, dehydration, cold temperatures, poor physical conditioning or injury/arthritis) seems to increase the likelihood of DCS. However DCS is quite uncommon, occurring after fewer than 1 in 10,000 dives.

What does this mean for dislocated fingers? The damaged joints indicate some sort of alteration in the blood supply and probably slightly increases your risk (albeit small) of developing DCS. There are no studies to prove this assumption.

In any case, it would be wise to use general common sense in diving; specifically, don’t “push” the no-decompression limits, make slow ascents, and make a 3 to 5 minute safety stop after every dive.

Best regards for safe diving!
Ern Campbell, MD
Diving Medicine Online
http://www.scuba-doc.com/

"There is nothing-- absolutely nothing-- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats!" --'Water Rat' to 'Mole' in 'The Wind in the Willows' --Kenneth Grahme
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[Dr Deco]

Dear Peter:

One can simply proceed cautiously and see what develops. Most likely, it will be nothing at all, as Scubadoc said. :mean:

I certainly not make any great leaps forward (or downward, in this case). If you increase the bottom time, one day, you may find that you get a slight ache in your two fingers. If you do, then you know that you have reached a gas loading point that is resulting in marginal problems. Bigger gas loads would result in bigger pains. Rest assured however, that pain in the fingers does not cause knee pains or neurological DCS. A problem engendered by poor circulation is a regional one and is confined to that region.

Dr. Deco :doctor:

 

[peter]

To Scubadoc and Dr Deco

Thanks for your prompt and informative reply. I will take any deep diving very slowly and watch out for any signs that are of the ordinary,like 40mtr vis, a good dive buddy,and bucket loads of sea life, if I see anything like this i'll know somethings not right . One question though for scubadoc,how did you know aboot the booger picking? :nono:

 

[scubadoc]

Hi Peter:

I'm very familiar with 'booger' picking - I raised two boys!

I also grew up with an unfortunate individual whose nickname was "Booger" - named so because he was seen picking and eating the things in the 1st grade! The entire class, except him, had been alerted to watch. I guess they'd call that harassment these days!

I'm not an ENT specialist - but some of these gentlemen are familiarly and lovingly called 'Booger pickers'.

Actually, boogers are said to be quite tasty - when sauteed - slightly salty with a local 'industrial tang', depending upon whether or not you're a mouthbreather.

All kidding aside - boogers are the end result of protective mucous secretions from the lining cells of the nasopharynx. We couldn't get along without them.

Now - back to dislocated fingers - I'm interested in how this accident happened - did somebody hit you in the mouth while you were picking your nose?

 

[Mick]

I am guessing that because Peter is from Oz then his dislocated pinkies are a reult of either Rugby or Aussie Rules Football. My bet (because he is from Brissie) is Rugby.

Am I close Peter ??? :idea:

Mick

 

[peter]

scubadoc

Even though I did my schooling with people who turned out to be murderers, thieves , drug addicts your class mates would have scared the bejesus out of me.
Did you ever get a peek in this poor booger buggers lunch box. Would have looked like 10 naked snails on a piece of bread. Hope you applauded when he did his trick for you, I would have clapped instead of shaking his hand. But enough of the creature that lives in the bottom of the mask.

Luckily young Mick and not yourself was correct, rugby league was the culprit who tore my fingers from thier sockets and left dangling but not bleeding. I dont think that was to dramatic do you. I play masters (over 35s) rugby league. We have a comp over here called the Asia
Pacific Games. Only masters can compete in sports like netball ,soccer, baseball,soft ball, rugby and rugby league all sorts,with people from all over the world. It's run over 2 week and we had to play 7 games in 4 day's,

The story goes somthing like this keeping in mind that you were not there to prove me wrong. I caught the ball on my try line ran the full length of the field fending off one tackler after another, waving to the video camera as I passed the half way line ducking weaving, ducking, weaving, fending. The only thing between me and certain glory was a man, but not just any man, imagine popeye after 50 cans o spinach. My only weakness I know not what fear is, with left arm extended ball under right arm, head down and bum up I prepare to cut him in half and score the winning try.

After coming to the docter told me I had two dislocated fingers and I spent the next 8 hrs in the emergency waiting room of a Gold Coast hospital. The good news was I missed the next three games but made it back to play in the last three games.

And no the try was not scored, thank you for your concern, simpathy is a bit light on around here with footy related injuries,she just dosent understand.

And Mick is very very very correct aboot the crocodile hunter. We tell every body he is from New Zealand.