Scale Stuck In Hand? 2024
CalebWVU reply :
I'll preface this by saying I highly doubt this has happened to anyone but me, but I figured it's worth a shot. Anyway, 3 weekends ago I was doing some bass fishing. I caught a small bass and was holding him around his back, not paying as much attention as I should, and he thrashed unexpectedly. When he thrashed, my hand slid against the grain of his scales and his scales cut me a bit, nothing major it all. I ran some water over it and didn't think anything else of it.
Well, here I am about 18 days later. The cut has basically completely healed, but there is a faint purple bump on my palm where the cut used to be. It hurts if you apply pressure to it, somewhat like a really nasty splinter. I don't even know if this is possible, but I'm thinking that somehow a scale broke off of the bass and got lodged into my hand, and then my hand healed over it. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this, and do you have any suggestions? I'd like to avoid cutting my hand open to get it out, but I also feel a bit ridiculous going to the doctor for something like this lol. I don't want too wait much longer though and risk any infection. Any tips on what to do?
Edit: Sorry if this isn't the right section, but I had no idea where to post something like this.
roadwarrior reply :
This reminds me of a silly commercial where the guy is on the phone with his doctor
getting instructions on how to remove his appendix...
Go see a doctor...NOW!
Nitrofreak reply :
On 7/3/2012 at 9:54 PM, CalebWVU said:I'll preface this by saying I highly doubt this has happened to anyone but me, but I figured it's worth a shot. Anyway, 3 weekends ago I was doing some bass fishing. I caught a small bass and was holding him around his back, not paying as much attention as I should, and he thrashed unexpectedly. When he thrashed, my hand slid against the grain of his scales and his scales cut me a bit, nothing major it all. I ran some water over it and didn't think anything else of it.
Well, here I am about 18 days later. The cut has basically completely healed, but there is a faint purple bump on my palm where the cut used to be. It hurts if you apply pressure to it, somewhat like a really nasty splinter. I don't even know if this is possible, but I'm thinking that somehow a scale broke off of the bass and got lodged into my hand, and then my hand healed over it. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this, and do you have any suggestions? I'd like to avoid cutting my hand open to get it out, but I also feel a bit ridiculous going to the doctor for something like this lol. I don't want too wait much longer though and risk any infection. Any tips on what to do?
Edit: Sorry if this isn't the right section, but I had no idea where to post something like this.
NEWS FLASH !!!
If it is painful to the touch it's already infected, GO SEE A DOCTOR...NOW !!!
Jig Meister reply :
Not sure if you know this, but a lot of fish carry nasty nasty bacteria on their bodies, and once it gets into your skin/flesh/blood stream can do a lot of damage.
No granted this is a Bass and not something else, like a stingray (which causes a anti-healing wound and eventual necrosis if left untreated), but still there is no telling what type of bacteria you have gotten from the fish, or even the water.
Go to the doctor, they will lance this if they feel they need too, give you a good multi-spectrum antibiotic, and at worst case, give you a intramuscular injection of antibiotics.
fowlskies reply :
This happened to my father when I was a kid and he was helping take a fish off my line. His didn't get infected though. It would bother him every once in awhile when he could feel it moving around in there and it finally went away after a good 3-4 years. It either disolved or got carried away in his blood stream but he was too stubborn to go to the docs.
I don't know if you're avoiding the doctor's b/c you have no insurance but I would go to the doctors if it is infected before you end up in the emergency room. If its not infected and you leave it be you'll have the feeling of a sliver stuck in your hand for quite awhile, just ask my father.
AK-Jax86 reply :
You should be careful this happened to a buddy of mine. It was similar to what happened to Peter Parker and now we call my buddy Fisherman. Lol
I'm sure you will be fine
Mumpy reply :
I think you should let it be, this is how the Amazing Spiderman got his shot and this could be your opportunity to become a Bass Superhero of sorts.
basscrusher reply :
Never heard of a scale getting stuck in there...but a broken spine? Yes, I have seen that. A general practitioner should be able to remove it, if you don't feel like waiting around with the circus in the ER.
dale.m reply :
On 7/4/2012 at 12:43 AM, Mumpy said:I think you should let it be, this is how the Amazing Spiderman got his shot and this could be your opportunity to become a Bass Superhero of sorts.
Hahaha! This must be why KVD is so good at catching bass.
ClackerBuzz reply :
I was a bartender for many years so I'd always be in a situation like yours. And didn't have health insurance and would end up with cut/burns/funk in my hands. Your hands are always wet working behind a bar and you constantly have citrus on them so you get what we called "bar rot" under ur fingernails. So bad you could squeeze puss out of them. The trick to cure it was to not be a wimp and scrub them hard to get fresh water and soap under there. Then it would go away fast. People who couldn't take the pain would end up going to the doctor for antibiotics. It sounds like your hand healed fine and you are out of the woods. Yes it will be sensitive just like a splinter under the surface but your body will break down any debris. As opposed to touching it even lightly sending you up to the ceiling=go to a doctor.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Fish slime does indeed carry toxins. It has happened to me a few times in my lobstering career. The first time necessitated a trip to the emergency room. That faint purple will get darker, and start travelling up your arm. Do not think about it. Get seen by a doctor immediately if not sooner.
Here's some general advice for all. Should you get skewered by a fin, you can easily neutralize the toxins in fish slime. Soak the affected area in hot water for about twenty minutes to a half hour. Make sure to keep the water hot. The heat will neutralize or kill the toxins.
Because you have an open wound, it may become infected, but it won't be infected by the fish slime.
http://www2.worksafe...ture_wounds.pdf
clayton86 reply :
Iv gotten stuck by fish so many times here in Kuwait its not even funny the little scoundrels I nicknamed them ninja fish cuz the zebra bream have a tendency to jump out of the bucket at me and stick me in the hand or wrist with there spines to the point I bleed for a minute and then it stops. Same thing bass and blue gill do back home but these arab salt water fish are very good at it lol. I worried of infection at first but now it happens so often and nothings happened yet I just curse a bit and throw em on a hook feed them to bigger toothier fish as punishment.
I say go see a doctor if the pains so bad you cant touch it or its keeping you from doing day to day activities. If its tolerable and just a little tender suck it up.
maybe you will be the next KVD with that little bit of fish in ya
mikey5string reply :
I've never gotten "stung" by a bass, they dont flare out their dorsals like sunfish do. I have however hooked myself trying to lip a bass several times.
Aas for your injury...If you're asking what you should do, you already know the answer. 
CalebWVU reply :
Well, I ended up going to Urgentcare and they took an x-ray to see if a piece of bone or spine broke off. They said the x ray didn't show anything but there still could be something in there. Gave me a tetanus shot and said keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse then come back.
I'd rather them have just cut it out there, but we'll see what happens now. Thanks for advice.
Mumpy reply :
On 7/6/2012 at 10:03 PM, CalebWVU said:Gave me a tetanus shot and said keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse then come back.
That just ruined any chance you had of becoming a Bass Super Hero, oh well, it was worth a shot...
Northern Strain reply :
I had a catfish dorsal spine go through and through my left index finger and break off just behind the nail. I pulled the spine out by the point with a pair of needle nose. I had two nasty little wholes on top of my finger and had to throw my t shirt away it was so bloody. How ever like Fishing Rhino said I soaked in hot water, as well as washed with rubbing alcohol and then coated with antibiotic cream. It didn't get infected but was pretty nasty looking for a few weeks.
Sam reply :
Probably have a small intrusive part of the scale or something was in the water than caused the bacteria build up.
As stated above, go see a physician. With a little novocain and a sharp scaple the doc can excise the wound, remove the material, and you will be as good as new in two weeks.
Please do not try to remove it yourself with a pin or tweezers. You may not be able to find the material and working with tools that are not disinfected can cause additional problems.
unionman reply :
On 7/6/2012 at 10:03 PM, CalebWVU said:Well, I ended up going to Urgentcare and they took an x-ray to see if a piece of bone or spine broke off. They said the x ray didn't show anything but there still could be something in there. Gave me a tetanus shot and said keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse then come back.
I'd rather them have just cut it out there, but we'll see what happens now. Thanks for advice.
lol. A tetanus shot for a scale in your hand??? These docs are getting rediculous. My mom is in the medical field and while she was in school she did some research on how tetanus shots came about. (its been a while since she told me this but I think it goes like this) Believe it or not, they were first used widley in the civil war for soilders who somehow ingested horse manure. Either through a cut or wound , or on their hands while eating.
Its now used like the old "Snake Oil" as a cure all for cuts/wounds in addition to antibiotics occasionally. While Im sure there is a legit use for this medicine, It is absolutley not needed when you step on a nail or get "shanked" by a fish. Its just a money maker for the medical community.
Next time tell them you DO NOT want the shot and to remove it immediatley. After all they work for you and they charge an arm and a leg too so dont be afraid to speak your mind. If they refuse, leave and dont go back. They dont make money from a quick simple fix...
roadwarrior reply :
How long have you been practicing medicine?
Tetanus is a very serious infection:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/tetanus/
unionman reply :
I do not practice medicine....Never said I did. Read closer next time. I was merely commenting on how you actually become infected (once again, read closer). Doctors give the shot when there is no chance of the Tetanus infection "just to be sure". They over prescribe it just as they do anitbiotics. Neither are free or cheap. Of course that doesnt matter. The drug companies will quit giving "kickbacks" to docs if they quit selling their drugs You can believe w/e they say if you want but you'll probably be the guy who ends up getting some surgery you dont need because "the doc said so" and have a lifetime of side affects and complications.
unionman reply :
Lets not forget the side effects of the vaccine!! Vomiting, fever(105+!), seizures, coma, long term seizures, lowered awareness and DEATH, to name just a few...sorry but Ill take my chances. Im an Industrial Construction Worker and have had too many cuts and burns to count. Ive got the scars to prove it. Ive NEVER gotten a tetanus shot for any of my injuries. Still here. No lock jaw.
Tetanus is VERY serious and potentially deadly, but also very rare. Docs give out shots like the say every "bad" kid has ADD. Its a simple do-nothing diagnosis.
J Francho reply :
You have to be kidding me....there isn't any blood test for tetanus infection, the only way to diagnose it is AFTER you already have lockjaw. Seems like a no brainer to avoid this with a simple vaccine. Yes it's rare, that's because most of us have the common sense to get immunized. I wonder how many of the 31 fatal cases this decade were not immunized. Oh yeah, all of them. No brainer indeed!
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 2:50 AM, unionman said:I do not practice medicine....Never said I did. Read closer next time. I was merely commenting on how you actually become infected (once again, read closer). Doctors give the shot when there is no chance of the Tetanus infection "just to be sure". They over prescribe it just as they do anitbiotics. Neither are free or cheap. Of course that doesnt matter. The drug companies will quit giving "kickbacks" to docs if they quit selling their drugs You can believe w/e they say if you want but you'll probably be the guy who ends up getting some surgery you dont need because "the doc said so" and have a lifetime of side affects and complications.
A tetanus shot is good for ten years. I hardly think they are getting rich on them. Tetanus shots are routinely given for puncture wounds, be it from stepping on a nail, or being stuck with a fish spine. It matters not what it was developed for. Many drugs being researched to treat one condition or disease are sometimes found to be helpful for other things.
If one were to believe your post about the pharmaceutical companies and doctors one must of necessity conclude that both are evil and wicked.
However when one considers that the life expectancy is 30 years longer than it was in the early 1900s, the medical community must be doing something right. Not only are we living longer, but we also enjoy a higher quality of life because our better well being makes it possible.
CoBass reply :
The days of drug companies giving "kickbacks" are long over. It is actually a felony for them to do it or for a doctor to accept them. I've worked in many medical offices and when the drug company reps come in to discuss their products they will occasionally bring lunch for the entire staff. Doing anything more than that can get both parties in a lot of trouble.
As far as the whole tetanus thing goes, if you get a shot every ten years during a regular physical you will have nothing to worry about and if you have insurance they will cover it at no additional charge to you. It is rare that someone actually comes down with tetanus but if you do you're in for a lot more pain and expense than getting a shot every ten years.
unionman reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 4:31 AM, J Francho said:You have to be kidding me....there isn't any blood test for tetanus infection, the only way to diagnose it is AFTER you already have lockjaw. Seems like a no brainer to avoid this with a simple vaccine. Yes it's rare, that's because most of us have the common sense to get immunized. I wonder how many of the 31 fatal cases this decade were not immunized. Oh yeah, all of them. No brainer indeed!
Nope. Not kidding at all. Its not a simple vaccination. You obviously overlooked all the side effects that were listed. Like COMA, DEATH, DEATHLY HIGH FEVER. To name just a few of the serious ones. As far as them not getting rich on it, think again. Rhino said they are routinely given for puncture wounds. How many people, nation wide, do you think are given vaccines on a daily basis?? I dont know about you but Id rather have lock jaw for a bit than be in a coma because I "might" have tetanus.
CoBass reply :
The side effects you mention are the most serious possible side effects and occur so rarely it's ridiculous. Tetanus is way worse than having some lock jaw for a bit. It affects most of the muscle groups in your body and you wind up hospitalized with excruciating muscle spasms that could even include muscles used to breathe. That means you wind up breathing through a tube on a ventilator until you either recover or die. I've only seen one case of tetanus but it definitely wasn't pretty. Guy was in the hospital for a little over a month and spent most of that time sedated and on a ventilator. By the way, he was a construction worker who contracted the disease from a minor little cut he got on a job site.
Fishing Rhino reply :
I did say they are routinely given for puncture wounds. Do you know why? Do not misconstrue my words to think that I agree with you, because I do not.
A doctor who does not give, or offer, tetanus shots in such circumstances is playing Russian roulette with both his practice and his patient. All a doc needs is to have one patient contract tetanus because he did not recommend the tetanus shot, and he is subject to a huge malpractice suit. The same is true of all the testing that is done. To avoid malpractice suits, a doctor has to cover his butt and prescribe tests that his learning and experience tell him are not likely to accomplish anything.
I speak from personal experience. I jammed my elbow into a sharp fiberglass corner. It did not break the skin, but it hurt like all get out. When the pain persisted beyond a couple of weeks, I decided to have it checked out.
The doc took an xray of my elbow and it checked out ok. But the bones from elbow to my wrist faded to nothing halfway down my arm. He felt it was just an anomoly, so he took another xray. The same result. He still felt it was just a glitch in the xray, but to be sure there wasn't something serious going on, he ordered a full body bone scan which was done by the nuclear medicine department at the hospital. They injected me with a radioactive fluid and told me to come back in three hours, to allow the radioactive material to settle into the bones.
The test showed everything to be normal, so I had a test that cost about three grand, just in case. Thank goodness for insurance.
The problem is most folks have little or no appreciation or understanding of the responsibility and liability physicians deal with on a daily basis.
tomustang reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 4:45 AM, CoBass said:The days of drug companies giving "kickbacks" are long over. It is actually a felony for them to do it or for a doctor to accept them. I've worked in many medical offices and when the drug company reps come in to discuss their products they will occasionally bring lunch for the entire staff. Doing anything more than that can get both parties in a lot of trouble.
Just cause its illegal now doesn't stop them from still doing it.
tomustang reply :
I'm sure we can talk about how corrupt the medical field is all day, but we need to get back on topic 
J Francho reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 4:49 AM, unionman said:Nope. Not kidding at all. Its not a simple vaccination. You obviously overlooked all the side effects that were listed. Like COMA, DEATH, DEATHLY HIGH FEVER. To name just a few of the serious ones. As far as them not getting rich on it, think again. Rhino said they are routinely given for puncture wounds. How many people, nation wide, do you think are given vaccines on a daily basis?? I dont know about you but Id rather have lock jaw for a bit than be in a coma because I "might" have tetanus.
LOL, you get a tetanus booster every ten years. I've had four in my life. No side effects. I think you are just scared of needles. 
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
I'll tell you a story, or better yet let you read it. Al Holt was my good friend of mines father, and died from getting hooked while fishing. I knew this man since I was a little kid, and he was a great man.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2002/08/09/Rare-flesh-eating-bacteria-kills-fisherman/UPI-88961028912602/
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 6:25 AM, J Francho said:LOL, you get a tetanus booster every ten years. I've had four in my life. No side effects. I think you are just scared of needles.
^^^^LOL
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i do a lot of night fishing with nightcrawlers for catfish and whatever else bites. i often handle worms, chicken livers, shrimp, and multiple species of fish all night when the bite is good. one of the worst fish for getting stabbed or cut by are those small white perch i got on crawlers. their spines are sharp on the top fins and always seem to be sticking up when you grab them, also their gills are almost razor sharp it seems lol. i always grab them over the gills now. the spines have stabbed me numerous times as the gills have actually cut me too.
also have gotten stung by catfish fins a few times too. does this mean i shouldnt put their slime on the stab wound to stop the stinging? lol
but i never got any infections. if your hand is hurting when you push it, its probably infected. knowing me, i would be picking at it with fingernail clippers lol
unionman reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 5:24 AM, Fishing Rhino said:I did say they are routinely given for puncture wounds. Do you know why? Do not misconstrue my words to think that I agree with you, because I do not.
A doctor who does not give, or offer, tetanus shots in such circumstances is playing Russian roulette with both his practice and his patient. All a doc needs is to have one patient contract tetanus because he did not recommend the tetanus shot, and he is subject to a huge malpractice suit. The same is true of all the testing that is done. To avoid malpractice suits, a doctor has to cover his butt and prescribe tests that his learning and experience tell him are not likely to accomplish anything.
I speak from personal experience. I jammed my elbow into a sharp fiberglass corner. It did not break the skin, but it hurt like all get out. When the pain persisted beyond a couple of weeks, I decided to have it checked out.
The doc took an xray of my elbow and it checked out ok. But the bones from elbow to my wrist faded to nothing halfway down my arm. He felt it was just an anomoly, so he took another xray. The same result. He still felt it was just a glitch in the xray, but to be sure there wasn't something serious going on, he ordered a full body bone scan which was done by the nuclear medicine department at the hospital. They injected me with a radioactive fluid and told me to come back in three hours, to allow the radioactive material to settle into the bones.
The test showed everything to be normal, so I had a test that cost about three grand, just in case. Thank goodness for insurance.The problem is most folks have little or no appreciation or understanding of the responsibility and liability physicians deal with on a daily basis.
I didnt misconstrue your words. And I couldnt care less if you dont agree with me. Do you know why? Your brainwashed by your doc. Think whatever you want. It doesnt mean your right. By the way, your little story has nothing to do with tetanus. Find another thread to whine about a scrapped elbow.
unionman reply :
On 7/17/2012 at 5:12 AM, CoBass said:The side effects you mention are the most serious possible side effects and occur so rarely it's ridiculous. Tetanus is way worse than having some lock jaw for a bit. It affects most of the muscle groups in your body and you wind up hospitalized with excruciating muscle spasms that could even include muscles used to breathe. That means you wind up breathing through a tube on a ventilator until you either recover or die. I've only seen one case of tetanus but it definitely wasn't pretty. Guy was in the hospital for a little over a month and spent most of that time sedated and on a ventilator. By the way, he was a construction worker who contracted the disease from a minor little cut he got on a job site.
You know ehats even more rare than the side effects I listed?? Actually GETTING tetanus!
roadwarrior reply :
Enough of this silliness. If you need some advice on industrial construction, contact unionman.
For medical advise, consult a doctor.
This thread is closed.
-Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior
Global Moderator
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