Emergency

What to do in an Emergency

If you or someone else severs a finger in an accident in a door you are going to need medical help immediately, but there are a few things you can do to give yourself the best chance of saving the finger and getting it or part of it reconnected. The main thing is to keep it clean and cold.


               
1. Stay calm!

2. Apply a pressure dressing to the remaining finger to prevent bleeding.

3. Find and wash the detached part of the finger, and any other bits, under a tap or with a sterile salt solution if available.

4. Wrap them in cling film or put in a clear plastic bag.

5. Put the wrapped or bagged finger parts in the fridge and when you need to transport them place the bag into ice in a jar or cup with the lid on, making sure the finger parts are not in direct contact with ice.

6. Do not put the finger parts in water, as this causes too much wrinkling.

7. Never put the finger parts in the freezer - they will develop frostbite.

8. Never put the finger parts in milk.


“The maximum time period for reattaching a finger or finger part is around 20 hours but it should ideally be reattached within 6-12 hours. You need to get to the nearest A & E department or to a specialist centre as soon as possible so that micro-surgery can be performed. If you look after the finger parts and act swiftly most fingers can be saved.”

 Dr Olga Stores, Medical Consultant, Warwick Hospital

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