what is this called?

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when a blood pools underneath a skin forming a soft lump, what is this called and what are the treatments? is it better to cut it open and let blood drain?

-clueless ms.rn-

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hematoma?

cold compress?

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I would call your primary care physician.

Tait

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hematoma?

cold compress?

ding!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Do NOT cut it open!

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I hope you are not talking about yourself. It is called a hematoma. It is a leakage of blood into the tissue that causes swelling in the area. You can have hematomas internally or externally. There are times when a hematoma requires drainage such as when the swelling becomes so bad that is affects circulation to the area below the area of the hematoma. Most hematomas are reabsorbed by the body over time.

In surgery to areas such as fingers and finger reattachments you may see sterile leaches used at the surgical site. This is to prevent a hematoma from forming at the surgical site thus restricting the blood flow to the distal part of the graft.

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