Hematoma associated with cutting?
 

I ended up cutting last night at a party. When I woke up this morning to look at my arm, I had the usual cuts but then also what looks like a hematoma (burst vein that has raised the skin in little red and purple bubbles) in the crease of my elbow. I have never injected drugs, but the injury looks similar to those received by people who do. It's very close to my cuts and is extremely painful. My arm has started throbbing down to my wrist and fingers as well.

I cut in the bathroom where people had been doing cocaine. I did not take cocaine, but I'm concerned that I may have accidentally grabbed one of the razors they used to cut it with instead of my own...or something like that. It's the only thing I can think of that I did differently...since I've never had an injury like this before. I do not remember getting hurt in a way last night that would have caused this either.

I know it's a stretch, but does anyone have any ideas? I do not have insurance, so an ER visit would really need to be necessary before I would go. On the other hand, I don't want to be ignoring something that could be serious either.

dont really know the answer sweetie, mayb pm one of the first aid advisors......
.......what i did want to say was 1) cuddles and 2) please be careful, you are putting yourself at huge risk of infection if you are using things that could have been used by someone else, even if was just to "cut cocaine" . make sure youve cleaned the wound well..... anyway take care hun x

Firstly, it's really advisable that you only use a blade that no-one else has used and that you know hasn't been used to cut cocaine. If someone else has used it (and this could possibly be from just a tiny cut whilst shaving) it can lead to the spread of blood-borne infectious diseases such as HIV and HepB which are things you really don't want and I'd advise you get checked out for these as a precautionary measure just incase especailly if you do things like that regularly. There is also a chance that you got some cocaine (if thats what it was used it for) into your body but if you've not had any signs of it then I wouldn't worry.

The haematoma may be due to (if next to where you cut) nicking a vein/venule (little vein)/ capillary and as well as bleeding out of the cut, some of the blood has got trapped within/just under your skin. Were the cuts deep? How is your arm/hand feeling now?

Well, first off, a little anatomy lesson.

When someone injects drugs (or gets an medical IV for that matter) a hematoma can form after the needle is removed if blood continues to leak out of the vein under/into the skin. This is why if you get blood drawn they put pressure on the spot. A hematoma is really just the fancy word for a deep bruise, so it is possible to get them if you are injured enough to cause damage to a vein or large capillary.

Now, cocaine causes blood vessels to constrict, so if you used a blade that had cocaine residue on it, it would actually cause your wound to bleed less rather then more. This makes it highly unlikely that cocaine in your wound caused the hematoma.

Now, having said that, unless you cut rather deep, its unlikely that you would have damaged anything enough to cause a hematoma like that, and aside from some other injury to the area, i'm not sure what would.

Thanks very much for the responses...espescially for the explanations on hematomas and what cocaine might do in a cut etc. I really was just alarmed at having such an unusual injury (for me) from my cutting. I was really upset at the time and cut much more deep than usual, and could have nicked a vein I suppose. I don't normally have a habit of grabbing anything in sight to cut with...and I will definately try to have more self control in the future.

My arm is still very painful especially when I put pressure on that spot....but I think it is improving now. Thanks again for the responses and concern.