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What If You Cut Off A Finger in The AnswerBank: Health & Fitness
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What If You Cut Off A Finger

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phleb | 22:41 Sat 23rd Nov 2013 | Health & Fitness
20 Answers
what do you do to save it?

Don't worry, I haven't cut a finger off, i'm just trying to brush up on my first aid, and I have forgotten this bit!
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ice/cold pack. Don't delay and get to the hospital as soon as possible
Pack it in ice and get to A&E?
Wrap it up with something frozen, peas or something like that. Then get to the hospital asap.
And, of course, bring the severed digit with you.
Maintain a barrier between digit and ice.
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So, the digit should be wrapped into something, then pack in ice? what would you wrap it in, for it to get the cold ice effect without frost bite
put it in a plastic bag before it's packed in ice, contact with the ice could damage it.
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Thank you all x
Does it happen often? Wouldn't being up to date on something like CPR be more useful?
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Its not a common thing, and i'm pleased to say I have all my digits intact, yet lol. I am thinking of going for an up to date CPR course, I was just so curious today, and it niggled me all day. I had to ask, otherwise I would have been up all night thinking about it.
I think I'd keel over if someone cut their finger off in front of me - would probably need CPR myself.
My uncle has lost two fingers from the joint just above the nail. He has a pointed nail that grew out of one of them.
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Also, place pressure on the arm or more importantly the artery, above the top of the bicep and elevate the arm if possible.
It's not all about the finger!
Try not to cut them all off at once or you'll get problems picking them up.
Take a pic and post it on twitter or FB then pack it ice
I'm rather worried by the initial 'pack it in ice' advice. If you pack a severed finger directly in ice it will suffer tissue damage from 'frostbite'. You need to keep it cool but not actually frozen!

As a qualified first-aider who has actually encountered the problem (during my teaching days, when a colleague chopped off two of his fingers with a circular saw), I can tell you that (despite carefully packing the fingers in a Tupperware box) it's not always possible for a hospital to successfully reattach them.
I agree with the post of Buenchico........don't get too "wound up" over the first aid treatment of an amputated digit as the likelihood of a satisfactory outcome is extremely remote.
I'm with sqad on this 1, as i had a severed digit on a Sunday so they couldn't be arsed to re-attach it, lazy Plastics dept, Index l/hand top1/4.
would do it for a child but not an older adult.
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Oooh who's answer was removed?? you all gave good advice, and I am now determined to take my first aid course again. Not the refresher one, but the full one.

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