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"Hand injury"

About: Liverpool Hospital

(as the patient),

I had a fall and seriously injured my hand one night a few months ago.

An ambulance brought me to the ER at Liverpool Hospital.

A temporary dressing was applied and IV antibiotics and tetanus injection were given.

It was decided that Fairfield Hospital Hand Clinic would be best suited to treat the injury and appointment was made for Fairfield the next morning.

My grievance was that the ER staff at Liverpool did not remove, or advise to remove, a wedding ring on the night of the injury.  By the following morning, my fingers had swollen and the wedding ring was very tight. Fairfield Theatre staff obviously had a tough job in removing it because my ring finger has still not returned to previous flexibility.

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Responses

Response from Patient Opinion Australia

This response has been posted by Patient Opinion Australia on behalf of South Western Sydney Local Health District.

Thank you for your patient story following your fall and serious hand injury.

Your comments about the removal of your wedding ring are very valid and we should have been more attentive to that issue.

The hand clinic is the most appropriate place for your treatment and I am pleased that we provide tetanus cover and antibiotics.

I will discuss the importance of the ‘ring removal’ with the General Manager at Liverpool, so we can improve in this area. I am sorry we missed informing you of the removal.

Many thanks for bringing your story to my attention. I do hope your experience with the hand clinic and the clinicians has you on the road to recovery and function of your hand.

Ken Hampson

Director Clinical Governance

South Western Sydney Local Health District

  • volansyq68 thinks this response is helpful
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Update posted by volansyq68 (the patient)

It would also be good for patients post op to have an explanation of likely time for local anaesthetic to wear off. In my case it took more than 8 hours by which time I was worried and on advice from Fairfield Hospital was told I should visit nearest hospital ED for attention. Fortunately effects started to wear off after another hour in waiting room so trip was ultimately unnecessary. This could have been avoided with appropriate advice post procedure.

Updates, changes and questions related to this story

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