I wasn’t ready for this when I researched what to do if you lose a finger or toe. Losing a finger or toe happens much more frequently than people think. So what do you do if you lose a finger or toe?
Many people think that you put (let’s say it is your finger) in ice to keep it in good shape on the way to the hospital. However as our reference material the New York Daily Intel advises if you put your appendage on ice it will get freezer burn. It’s weird to think of that.
Put your finger or toe in a safe place for a minute because your first job is to stop the bleeding of the “stump.” You put “direct pressure” on the wound and then elevate it above the heart. Don’t “scrub” the wound. Many people do this but they are scrubbing arteries and muscle and causing blunt-force trauma.
The next thing to do is rinse the appendage and wrap it in clean gauze. Now it is time to head to the hospital.
Here is some interesting information about getting the appendage to the hospital: It is very important that the injured person keep the finger or toe with them. It is a fact that if a finger or toe is given to a spouse they may get separated from the injured person and get to the hospital too late to save the finger or toe.
The information that I read that was shocking was when the aforementioned occurs couples often get divorced. I guess fingers and toes are very important.
I once came close to losing a finger. It was the pointer finger of my right hand. I was on a slide with my sons at a fair. It had a bar that you placed your hands on to give yourself a push down the slide. My finger got caught in a defect in the bar. It was jerked completely around so that if I was pointing at you I would actually now be pointing at myself. It was very scary. The medical tent placed a protector over the finger but that is all they did.
I went to the hospital and was actually admitted. I was given pain meds that I controlled but it really didn’t get rid of the pain.
At two in the morning I was given a “shoulder block” that totally numbed my arm and hand. I could feel when the finger was turned back around and it felt like two pieces of wood scrapping together. My finger healed completely.
If you lose a toe or finger remember to stop the bleeding, rinse the appendage and keep it with you on the way to the hospital.
Stay safe!
References:
New York Daily Intel Website, “What to Do When You Lose an Appendage”
Personal Experience
