First Aid Treatment for a Severed Finger

There are four goals when providing first aid treatment for a victim with a severed finger: Control the bleeding, control infection, preserve the finger and save the life. Because the fingers are full of veins, arteries and nerves, death by blood loss is a very real possibility. However, if you take the appropriate measures, the patient will likely survive and doctors may be able to reattach the severed finger.

Before Touching the Patient

• Call 911 immediately when a person severs a finger. Wash your hands if you have time. Grab an ice pack, a bottled water and as many clean towels as possible. Ask the victim if there is any medical information that you need to be aware of such as bloodborne diseases. Wear rubber gloves if at all possible to avoid contact with the victim's blood. Remove any rings on the affected finger before the finger swells.

Control Bleeding

• Keep the bleeding under control. Have the person lay down with the head lower than the torso and the feet raised. This increases blood flow to the brain and can prevent fainting. Hold the victim's injured hand up and above the heart to help control bleeding. Use the bottled water to give the wound a quick rinse. Ideally, the wound should be bacteria-free. Use the towels to apply firm pressure to the wound. Do not remove the towel once the victim has bled through it. Instead, apply another towel over the wound. If the bleeding does not slow, apply a tourniquet by tightly binding the wrist area. This may cause permanent nerve damage to the patient, but applying the tourniquet may also save his life. Keep the pressure on the wound until help arrives.

Bleeding and Shock

• Keep the victim as calm as possible. Stress causes the heart to beat faster, which increases blood flow. Assure the patient that you are doing everything you can and that help is on the way. Do breathing exercises with the injured person. Inhale slowly for five seconds and exhale for ten. Pause between breaths for two seconds. This reduces the risk that the patient will go into shock. To further reduce this risk, cover the patient with warm blankets. Blood loss causes the patient to feel cold. As a result, the heart pumps even faster to generate body heat. Shivering is a common symptom of this as well as shock.

Preserve the Severed Finger

• Preserve the amputated finger for possible reattachment. Quickly rinse the severed portion of the finger with water. Place the finger in a dry plastic bag. Put the bag on ice. Put the finger in an ice chest if one is available. This allows for easy transport and less handling of the finger. Give the severed finger to the paramedics as soon as possible.