Treatment and Recovery for a Severed Finger

The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends these steps if you’ve cut part or your whole finger off.

Dealing with the scene of the injury

• If there are people around, get someone else’s attention for help. Any machinery in use should be controlled or turned off.
• Don’t remove any jewelry or any clothing from the injured area.
• Call an ambulance or ask someone to rush you to the emergency room.
• If you have a complete amputation, look for your severed finger part or ask someone to look for it.

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Dealing with the injury

• Lightly rinse your injury with water or sterile saline.
• Cover the injury lightly with sterile gauze or a dressing.
• Elevate your injured hand above your heart to help reduce bleeding and swelling.
• Put slight pressure on the wound to help stop the bleeding.
• Don’t squeeze or tightly bandage the injured area or any part of the finger or hand — this can cut off blood flow.

Caring for the severed digit

If you have a severed finger or fingers:

• Don’t remove any jewelry or clothing from the finger.
• Gently wash off the amputated finger with water or sterile saline – don’t scrub it.
• Cover the finger in a damp, gauze wrap.
• Put the finger in a clean waterproof bag.
• Place the bag that the finger is in into another larger plastic bag.
• Place the bundle of plastic bags on ice.
• If more than one finger has been amputated, put each in its own clean bag. This helps to prevent infection and more damage to each individual digit.

Keep the severed finger cold without setting it directly on ice. You can use ice or a mixture of ice and water. If you don’t have ice, keep it cold by putting the wrapped finger on a bag of frozen food or surround the bag in cold water if you can without getting the finger wet.

DON’T PLACE A SEVERED FINGER DIRECTLY ON ICE OR ANYTHING FROZEN

This can damage it. Keep it with you until you’re able to see the doctor. Bring your amputated finger with you to the emergency room. Don’t give it to anyone else to hold in case you get separated.

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Severed Finger: First Aid, Surgery, and Recovery (healthline.com)