For a severed finger or toe, first press on the wound to stop bleeding; wrap the severed part in damp gauze, seal it in a bag, place the bag in ice water, and go to a hospital with hand surgery services

No monetary cost. Keep clean gauze and a few sealable plastic bags at home. The hard part is remembering, in the panic, to care for the person before the severed finger, and resisting the urge to put the finger directly in ice or water.

The US National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus first-aid page advises direct pressure to stop bleeding and elevation of the injured area. A tourniquet may be used for life-threatening bleeding. Preserve the severed part and send it with the person. Gently rinse away dirt from the cut surface. Wrap it in a clean damp cloth, put it in a sealed plastic bag, and place the bag in ice water. Do not put it in water or ice without a bag, or directly on ice. Do not use dry ice, which can freeze-damage the finger. If cold water is unavailable, keep the part away from heat as much as possible. Cooling extends the time available; without it, reattachment may be possible for only about 4–6 hours. Do not discard a severed part because it seems too small to save. Do not push a severed part or exposed bone back into place. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' fingertip amputation page gives similar advice and recommends a hospital with hand surgeons available at all times. Pooled results from 31 studies found that 86.8% of replanted fingers survived: 1976 successes and 300 failures. Among 1087 people who underwent replantation, 82.9% returned to work. Another pooled analysis of 12 studies found an 85.3% finger survival rate. A further meta-analysis of 12 studies involving 3645 people found that fingers without blood supply for 8 hours or longer before surgery were more likely to develop necrosis after replantation. The odds were about 2.25 times those with less than 8 hours of ischemia (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.43–3.54, the confidence interval).

MedlinePlus (2024). Traumatic amputation：「Wrap the severed part in a clean, damp cloth, place it in a sealed plastic bag and place the bag in an ice water bath」「Do not put the body part directly in water or ice without using a plastic bag」「Do not put the severed part directly on ice」「Without cooling, the severed part is only good for reattachment for about 4 to 6 hours」. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000006.htm；American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Fingertip Injuries and Amputations：「Do not allow the amputated part to be in direct contact with ice」「Go immediately to the emergency room, preferably at a hospital that has hand specialists immediately available」. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/fingertip-injuries-and-amputations；Treger D 等 (2026). Return-to-Work After Attempted Digit Replantation: A Systematic Review of 31 Studies. HAND. https://doi.org/10.1177/15589447241279445；Stone N 等 (2021). Comparing digital replantation versus revision amputation patient reported outcomes for traumatic digital amputations of the hand: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Microsurgery. https://doi.org/10.1002/micr.30738；Yu F 等 (2026). Risk factors associated with postoperative necrosis after digital replantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Surgery. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2026.1795247

The evidence grade is B because preservation methods come from guideline and textbook consensus, while survival rates come from observational follow-up. No controlled trials comparing preservation methods were found. The benefit is judged medium: this preserves a finger rather than a life. Whether replantation is possible or worthwhile depends on a doctor's assessment; crushed or torn-off parts are harder to reattach than clean cuts. MedlinePlus also emphasizes that saving life comes before saving the part: stop bleeding first, then deal with the severed finger. For bleeding that direct pressure cannot stop, see Item 12 in this section (press firmly on a heavily bleeding wound first) for tourniquet use. Kitchen knives, doors, and power tools can all sever fingers. For angle grinder protection, see Section 1, Item 42 (fit the guard before using an angle grinder). The main beneficiaries are you and your family, especially people who regularly use power tools or do manual work.