The Ring Cutter to the Rescue

​It's a good idea to find the ring cutter in your department before you need it. Know where it is, what the box looks like, and if it's electric or manual. Some departments may even keep it in the PIXIS or medication dispensary machine. You will also want to know where you keep your vice grips, wire cutters, and spreaders.A patient with a hand injury must have his ring removed immediately. Lacerations, crush injuries, burns, degloving injuries, fractures, and even hand or finger contusions require prompt removal of any constrictive device. Swelling in the distal extremity can occur around the injury. The space in the hand, especially the joint space, is small and unforgiving. You must act fast and remove the ring because it can cause diminished blood flow, incarceration, or necrosis to digits rapidly.Using a manual ring cutter: Set up and act quickly. Photo by Martha Roberts.Removing a ring from a finger can be tedious and troublesome. Occasionally, rings can be removed by using a lubricant such as petroleum jelly. Other rings may slip off if soaked in icy or soapy water. When those fail, the string method may work. (This technique will be discussed in a future post). For time's sake and to minimize trauma, a manual or electric ring cutter may be used to promptly and safely remove constricting metal, silver, and gold bands.Don't let this degloving injury scare you; this ring can be easily removed. You must anesthetize this finger before attempting removal because any co...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs