# What to do when you saw off a finger



## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

I hope no LJs will ever have to use this information, but I thought it might be good to pass along.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/16/things.fall.off/index.html?iref=NS1

It's a report on CNN that gives some information about what to do when you have a body-altering accident, such as loosing a finger to a saw. Included in the article are a couple of links for more information.


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## Seer (Jun 5, 2008)

CA Glue and some sawdust to fill in the cracks


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

thank´s for the tip 
just hope I never have to use it

take care
Dennis


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## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

tx for the reminder, theres a poster with all this info on the wall of the school workshop.
they also say that if you haven't got acces to a plastic bag and icy water, that the best is to put the severed finger in your mouth! can anybody confirm?


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## Walt447 (Aug 18, 2010)

I am a RN with 42 years experience and I would not recommend placing the severed part in the mouth. The human mouth is a place that has many bacteria and the goal with any severed part is to reduce the bacteria the can get on the part. If you don't have a plastic bag wrap the part in a moist (not Wet) cool cloth of any type.. The most important thing to remember is to prevent this from happening.
Walt


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## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

What to do when you saw off a finger?

Why, post it to LumberJocks, of course! Complete with gory photographs.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Thanks for the info but I sure hope that I won't ever need it but who knows. I've been using table saws for 40 years and this past weekend I had my first kick back accident. It happened in a split second and fortunately I was not injured. I really don't know how I escaped injury but I was not injured. I kept on working but it's sort of funny; I kept looking at my right hand every so often checking it but it wasn't hurt. My stupidity with this injury was getting in a hurry to finish. I was lucky.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Actually, about putting in in your mouth.. Although it would be hard not to gag and barf- having been a dental hygienist in a former life…. When you get a tooth knocked out the best place to put it is in your mouth. (Don't swallow of course). If the tooth is kept in the mouth it stays moist, body temperature and it stays relatively clean. When a dislodged tooth is transported in the patient's own mouth it can very often be reinserted into the socket and stabilized and you save the tooth. This is particularly important if it is a FRONT tooth.  So I imagine the same is true of a severed finger. As for bacteria- well the bacteria in your mouth is already YOUR bacteria, and is not foreign to the body. A wet rag however is full of bacteria- some of which can kill you and your finger- especially if it is a shop rag or a kitchen rag. So, again, if you could not puke, I would say put it in your mouth. Afterall, when you cut your finger any other time, you very often put it right in your mouth.  But I hope none of us has to test the waters here….


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## rbterhune (Jul 31, 2009)

They didn't say put a finger or toe in your mouth…they were referring to teeth.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Sorry folks - I couldn't resist….Why not put it on a stick and make a very effective back scratcher…...or You can also use it as a one side ear plug or nose plug (you will have a pair after you saw off the next finger).

As for re-connecting the digit….you can use the "***********************************" method….bailing wire and duct tape….the "Tim the toolman" method - chain hoist and pile driver…..the "Martha Stewart" method - doileys and craft yarn….the "Teabagger" method - blame it on obama and his policies…..or one of my favorites the "Bush" method - send in the bombers and tanks….

Truthfully, the information in the original post can possibly save the digit….but the best possible solution is to avoid unsafe acts…It is not cowardly or weak to practice safety….Our company drills that into our construction workers time and again….being tough or cool does not mean you disreguard safety…..no one is macho when they are bleeding from a traumatic dismembering….we tell our folks to watch out for your fellow workers…and especially for yourself…follow prescribed safety instructions at all times….Think ahead…and most of all Pay Attention.


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## big_wood (Nov 3, 2009)

Good info and good to run through the scenario in your head if it should ever happen to you.

This happened to my neighbor one evening a couple years back when he cut his finger off on the table saw. His wife called me over to help as she knew i have first aid training and they were both freaking out. I would have been freaking out myself if I didn't have half dozen beers in me. (give me a break, I was at a Christmas party)

i just remembered from my level 2 training to call the ambulance ASAP, even though not life threatening but will increase the chance the finger will be reattached with little issues. Most important thing to remember is to keep the finger with the patient wrapped in a moist towel in a iced bag, hung around the guys neck if have to and treat for shock. You always hear stories of guys showing up at the hospital but can't find their lost body part. A specialist met him at the hospital to attach the finger. Good to be specific on the call to 911.

later, i told him he's got bad luck and should give me all his ww'ing tools. he didn't fall for it.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Okay- how about bend over, put your head between your knees and kiss your…... goodbye? Or is that not good advice… Maybe better just put in in your mouth and let the saliva wash it up… that's probably better.


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## Jered (Sep 15, 2010)

I have to agree most times it is bad safety practice that results in these types of injuries. About ten years ago, I was on the table saw first to rip some 2x and then I had to cut down some plywood for end-panels. I didn't lower the blade and the the plywood started to drift a little from the fence so I pushed on the opposite corner and pushed my hand right through the blade. Since this was a wide cut, there was room to have a blade guard down over the blade which would have prevented injury. The shop I worked for didn't have a guard at the time. But more importantly I could have prevented the injury by lowering the blade or by simply paying better attention. By the way, they can succesfully reattach fingers after 10-12 hours. I mention this because the doctors fail to pass on this information so it can be a little stressfull if you don't know this and you are waiting 6 or more hours for surgery, thinking maybe too much time has already passed. And apparantly doctors don't know this type of injury is painful so you need to be assertive when asking for pain killers. I waited 45 minutes before they gave me anything. And before the doctor finally gave me some morphine, he actually asked "on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is the pain?" I laughed but I wanted to punch him.


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## bonehead (May 27, 2010)

I am a hand surgeon and if you presented to the ER with the severed finger in your mouth I would throw it in the trash because of the gross contamination, clean and close your finger and the next functional level. Then I would order a psych consult because I think you are crazy enough to put the finger in your mouth or you bit your finger off in the first place.

I have strong opinions about digital replantation that would not be popular @ lumberjocks.

Scott


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## bonehead (May 27, 2010)

Didn't mean to come across as a d!ck. That was not my intention.

Really the instructions on the link are accurate for a tooth and a finger. But they are not the same. Put your finger in a moist cloth or paper towel and place it in a bag. Put THAT bag in another bag of ice. Don't put it in your mouth. Here is why.

One of the important variables you worry about is WARM ischemia time. It is very important to decrease the temp of the body part. Putting in your mouth isn't helping. Your tooth is mostly acellular and this is not a big factor.

As far as infection goes, this is a good illustration:
The % of dog bites that get infected….....about 5%
The % of cat bites that get infected…...about 80%
The % of human bites (ie hitting someone and their tooth penetrates the skin - "fight bite") .....the same as cats.
The human mouth is nasty (in many ways 

THere are plenty of antecdotal stories of wonderful outcomes with replantation. But the indications for doing so with a finger are becoming narrower and narrower and fewer and fewer are done. The outcomes are just not that great for a FINGER.

Thumbs and hands are a different situation. Replantation should almost always be attempted.

The mechanism of action plays an important role. Cutting a finger off cleanly will do better if there is no crushing injury.

Now, if you really want a heated discussion, think about the cost. I can't remember the exact figure but a replant costs well over a $100k and a LONG recovery- out of work etc. Especially compared to a primary closure.

Who should pay for it?

I hope this info helps.

Scott


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## bonehead (May 27, 2010)

Oh and just so you know. I don't know diddly about woodworking. It is a lifelong interest and I am here to learn.

Scott


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## bonehead (May 27, 2010)

OK, I am also fairly new to interacting on an online forum.

So….go full silent and figure it out for ourselves…...got it.

Thanks


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## Raftermonkey (Jun 5, 2010)

Worst advice ever. Everybody gets their say whether or not somebody else doesn't like what they hear. That being said, Rap on Brotha…Rap on.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

Dr. B

As someone who has benefited from the work of a great hand surgeon I want to say that "full silent" is not the way to go. The more we can learn about these things the better we can handle them should the occassion arise.

In my case the surgeon was very up front with me going in to the surgery. I understood the situation and let him know that I wanted him to make the decision of what to do with each finger based on what he thought would be the best outcome (none of my fingers were fully severed but the distal phalanx and first joint my index finger were badly mangled and my middle finger sustained quite a bit of damage as well). My doctor opted to remove the badly mangled portion of my index finger and to repair the damage to the middle finger and to clean up the much less damaged ring and pinky fingers. I get good use of all fingers except the middle finger. At the end of three months therapy even it is getting better but is only 60 - 70% functional.

All in all it' not something I'd wish on anyone but I know I'm luck and that things could have been much worse. Excellent medical care made a significant difference. I thank God for doctors like yourself (and my surgeon) who have the knowledge, skills and dedication to help us when we've gotten ourselves into a real jam.

Thanks again and don't pull the silent treatment on us. Most of us want to know the score and would rather get the truth from an expert than live in ignorance.

Be Careful!

Herb


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## Gator (May 2, 2008)

SAWSTOP … nuff said.


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## tbone74 (Aug 6, 2011)

Man, I got a picture of my buddies finger when he lobbed it off… I'm looking all over for it and cant find it! The picture that is…


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

When I was a factory supervisor several years ago a worker in a another factory in the same building cut off his finger. The supervisor at that factory was a clueless idiot about what to do and everyone was running about screaming. It was anarchy. I went over and looked through both our accident kit and theirs, had a lot of bandaids, but not much else. No saline or a container to put his finger in. So, I took a 4X4 gauze pad and had the victim hold pressure on the stump to give him something to do because he was starting to get shocky. While we were waiting for the ambulance (which after 30 minutes still hadn't shown up yet) I put his finger in the only solution I could find that was clean, and the same hypotonic solution as plasma… yep, I bought a carton of milk at the vending machines, opened it and dropped the finger in it. That cooled it and kept the exposed cells from drying out or rupturing. I ended up driving him to the ER (less than a mile away) and they successfully reattached his finger.


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## paulw2 (Jan 6, 2012)

Hopefully I will never have to find out the answer to this question. But if I do, I know where to look for advice!


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## Greylion (Jan 31, 2011)

Well..it is all a lot of fun until you actually cut your finger off. Then it feels like you have been hit with a hammer and your whole focus narrows to pin point pain. Not more than 6 weeks ago I did just that. the funny part was that I have been working for years with a table saw and never had a problem and then the one time that I let my mind wander.."WHAM" and I mean WHAM…
Luckily I just caught the tip on a bias about 1/2 inch back. I put my finger raw end to on my shirt and high tailed it for the emergency room. They asked me where the rest was and I told them I did not find it.
Well..the cleaned it and then wanted to operate to cut the bone back so there would be a flap of skin to cover the bone. I said "no" and the doc said "it'll take a long time to heal. He also said that the problem was infection in the bone…guess that could be fatal from what he told me. Didn't have the surgery and the finger is healing just fine. I got to tell you, though, I sneak up on that table saw like it was ready to strike.
Hope none of you have the same experience…it hurts and you feel mighty dumb.
Bill


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## Schwieb (Dec 3, 2008)

Rivergirl's recommendations are not so far fetched from what I know from a dentistry standpoint. I've studied traumatic injuries to teeth since I was in dental school over 30 years ago. The goal is to keep the cells of the tissue viable. If they "dry out", there is less chance of reattachment of the tooth. Another thing they recommend is putting it in milk. How this information transfers to fingers I am not sure, but an isotonic solution will keep the cell membranes from breaking down.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Lets change the title of this post to read "If you cut your finger off". "When" bothers me as it makes it sound inevitable that it will happen.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

I think I'd quit for the day. Oh, and +1 on the *IF*.


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