What If You Cut Off A Finger

[phleb]

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!

[sandyRoe]

ice/cold pack. Don't delay and get to the hospital as soon as possible

[nungate]

Pack it in ice and get to A&E?

[tonyav]

Wrap it up with something frozen, peas or something like that. Then get to the hospital asap.

[sandyRoe]

And, of course, bring the severed digit with you.

[ferlew]

Maintain a barrier between digit and ice.

[phleb]

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

[vulcan42]

put it in a plastic bag before it's packed in ice, contact with the ice could damage it.

[phleb]

Thank you all x

[sherrardk]

Does it happen often? Wouldn't being up to date on something like CPR be more useful?

[phleb]

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.

[sherrardk]

I think I'd keel over if someone cut their finger off in front of me - would probably need CPR myself.

[ummmm]

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.

[ChillDoubt]

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!

[Old_Geezer]

Try not to cut them all off at once or you'll get problems picking them up.

[ELVIS68]

Take a pic and post it on twitter or FB then pack it ice

[Buenchico]

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.

[Sqad]

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.

[gsr600]

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.

[phleb]

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.