Pumpkin enthusiasts beware: Make sure to carve with care
Oct 30, 2014, 6:00 AM | Updated: 6:00 am
Those celebrating the season by decorating pumpkins — carve with care or risk damaging your digits!
“Every year, we see an uptick in the number of injuries just before and right after Halloween,” said Valley certified physician assistant John Shaff.
“The worst case I’ve seen is a knife blade completely through the hand, lodged into the bone,” he said.
One of the more common injuries is cutting of the flexor tendon.
“If there’s damage, there’s an immediate inability to flex the injured area and surgery is needed immediately,” said Shaff.
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand also suggests using caution when carving pumpkins, especially around children.
Carve pumpkins in a dry, well-lit clean space and leave adults in charge of handling sharp utensils. A sharper knife can increase the risk of cuts.
For more pumpkin carving tips, visit the ASSH website.
