Kyra Sedgwick Chops Off Tip Of Her Finger In Cooking Accident: How To Preserve A Severed Digit
Actress Kyra Sedgwick has some vindicating to do after Saturday night, when the Closer star accidentally chopped off the tip of her finger while cutting some kale for dinner.
Sedgwick arrived at the hospital alongside her husband, actor Kevin Bacon. Bacon made good sport of his wife's injury, captioning a photo of her sitting sullen in the hospital bed as ""@kyrasedgwick in the ER. Kale isn't ALLWAYS HEALTHY... if you chop the end of your finger off."
The story ended on something of a high note, as Bacon took another photo once the couple returned home. "My Baby is fine," he tweeted. "All good. Still can't find the tip of that finger."
If Sedgwick hasn't found the missing fingertip yet, it's unlikely ever finding it will amount to much. Severed digits require reattachment within 12 hours of amputation, with appendages more promixal to the body — i.e. toward the center — requiring as little as six hours, experts say.
First aid dictates a severed digit be rinsed off and placed in a sterilized wrap, such as gauze or clean paper towel. While the digit should be kept cool, experts do not recommend trying to freeze it or even keep it cold. Freezing temperatures could damage the blood vessels and actually give them freezer burn, which makes reattachment difficult.
However, before caring for the severed appendage, the first thing you do when a body part becomes detached is control the bleeding, advises Dr. Dave Manthey, professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Put direct pressure on the wound and elevate it higher than the heart.
Only then can the person care for the digit, which Manthey says must never be scrubbed, only rinsed.
"You are trying to decrease the bacteria," Manthey explains. "But don't scrub it. If you scrub, you're causing blunt force damage."
A person whose digit has been severed is advised to keep it with them at all times. Entrusting it to a family member leaves room for misplacement.