Directions for How to Bandage Fingertips

The hand is a vulnerable part of the body that plays a starring role in many of your daily activities. Fingertip injuries make up a large portion of the hand injuries treated on a regular basis by physicians, according to the American Family Physician, a journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Many of these injures are minor lacerations and abrasions such as paper cuts, kitchen-knife cuts and other injuries caused by routine activities. These injuries can become infected if they are not bandaged properly.

Things You'll Need

• Gauze
• Antiseptic solution
• Adhesive bandage strips

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the location and severity of the wound. If the wound is bleeding profusely, cover the area with a dry, sterile dressing such as gauze and apply firm pressure to the site of injury. The pressure will slow the bleeding and promote clot formation to ultimately stop active bleeding. Elevating the hand above the level of your heart will also slow bleeding.

• 2

  Move the finger to be sure there is no loss in range of motion as a result of the injury. Crush injuries in which the fingertips are exposed to a high degree of pressure such as being closed in a car door can be especially damaging to nerve endings.

• 3

  Flush the wound with warm water. Look for any dirt or debris within the wound. Puncture wounds created by objects penetrating through skin or nail can leave behind many harmful germs and bacteria, which can lead to infection that can later compromise finger use.

• 4

  Soak the injured fingertip in an antiseptic solution for five minutes. Antiseptic solutions --- such as iodine, hydrogen peroxide and isopropanol alcohol --- are chemical solutions that reduce or completely destroy microorganism on the body. These microorganisms, if left unchecked, can multiply, causing infection.

• 5

  Allow the area to air dry or wipe clean with sterile gauze. The area will need to be completely dry before a bandage can be applied to the area.

• 6

  Select an appropriately sized bandage to cover the injury. Adhesive bandage strips are appropriate for the small cuts, abrasions and blisters that commonly occur on the fingertips. Specially designed butterfly-shaped strips may fit along your finger better than traditional types of strips. Cut a small triangle just above and below the pad of the bandage to create an improvised butterfly bandage.

• 7

  Pull apart the pre-separated strips of the bandage package and pull out the bandage from between the two sides of the packaging. Remove the plastic backing from each side of the bandage. Be careful not to touch the bandage pad because this will introduce bacteria into the sterile pad.

• 8

  Hold the sterile pad over the wounded area and slowly lower it into place, ensuring it covers the entire wound. Pull the adhesive bandage strips around the opposite side of the finger following the natural curve of the finger so the bandage encircles the fingertip. Place the adhesive strips of the bandage diagonally across each other and secure them firmly to the surface of the skin.

• 9

  Inspect the bandage. Any gaps between the bandage and the skin that could expose the wound should be covered using an additional bandage. Make sure the bandage is not impeding circulation. If there is any numbness or tingling in the area, loosen the bandage.