Need quick first aid advice...wife injured knee at work tonite...

Dueller · 08:19 PM

...A large heavy box fell off of a shelf and hit her knee/patella on anterior side. Swelling blew up above and on side of knee. Appears to be more of a bruise/hematoma rather than ligament type injury. Painfull to bend but not a problem bearing weight. Apply ice? Heat? Alternate?

TIA

slodave · slodave's Garage

Ice it for 20 minutes at a time. Take some anti-inflammatory aspirin, like ibuprofen or naproxen. Heat is better for chronic injuries.

BTW, I'm not a doctor, I just injure myself frequently.

dentist90 · dentist90's Garage

Ice right now, immobilize. Check that her knee cap hasn't been displaced (unlikely).

Don't apply heat for a day or two... until any swelling has stopped. Gently wrapping it with a tensor bandage can minimize swelling as well. Save the heat for when she begins to move her knee again. Heat increases swelling where inflammation is present and dilates capillaries.

re: bruising and swelling; is your wife on anticoagulants or does she have high blood pressure? If so you may want to get the bruising looked at if it seems substantial.

artplumber · 09-10-2009, 08:36 PM

My immediate thought after reading the title was "But aren't you a lawyer"

I'd use ice for the first 24 hrs. Personally, I alternate heat and ice afterwards (make sure not too hot or long for the heat) because the heat helps get the blood flow to the injury for healing (after the swelling process has occurred). The round of ibuprofen, naproxen etc, should last a week, taken w/food, assuming there are no contraindications.

EDIT: Weight bearing isn't a way to test ligaments. That's something done by an MD.

Dueller · 09-10-2009, 08:38 PM

Thx gus for quick replies. What I thought....Elevate, immobilize, ice, anti-inflammatories and wrap. Looks nasty swollen. To the doc in the a.m.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

if you are going to alternate warm and cold, you want to start and finish with cold

3 min cold, 1 min warm(not hot) 3 min cold. I would wait until after speaking with ortho before doing anything but ice and mild compression.

You being the law talkin' dude, I don't have to tell you that she should write down what happened ASAP, work injury and all, workmans comp, etc

KaptKaos · 09-10-2009, 09:30 PM

RICE RICE RICE

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

See a doctor.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Sue em......

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

tie it off, and amputate as soon as possible, it might be gangrene !!

carambola · carambola's Garage

bursa sac leakage?
saw that a couple of times playing sports as a young lad.
go get it drained

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

leg pics?

MRM · 09-11-2009, 06:05 AM

Jim, how can you not be taking her right to the ER or urgent care? If she hasn't gone yet, make sure she makes an appointment today. Knees aren't anything to fool around with.

Permission granted to stand over her as she's writhing in pain, begging you to help her up, and to say "Having me around sounds like a pretty good idea right about now, doesn't it? What have you done for me lately?"

stomachmonkey · 09-11-2009, 06:22 AM

Sue the owner.

Joeaksa · 09-11-2009, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRM

Jim, how can you not be taking her right to the ER or urgent care? If she hasn't gone yet, make sure she makes an appointment today. Knees aren't anything to fool around with.

Permission granted to stand over her as she's writhing in pain, begging you to help her up, and to say "Having me around sounds like a pretty good idea right about now, doesn't it? What have you done for me lately?"

Agree, would be going to a medical professional, not looking here. You need someone to look at it, inspect and go from there.