Defining The “Angry Finger" Scenario And How To Handle It
In a lot of cases, when a patient arrives at a hospital or clinic with a stuck thing, they have already attempted to remove the ring at home with techniques such as ice, dental floss, soap, etc. While these techniques are great if they work, if not, the pulling and tugging on the ring, combined with the pressure points of the dental floss can make the finger sore, raw and more swollen. This is what we call, the “angry finger” scenario.
When a finger has been made “angry,” ring removal will be more difficult due to the additional swelling and damage caused to the digit. There are two scenarios that will determine the best treatment plan for removing a stuck ring in this scenario.
Angry finger |noun|: a finger that has become raw, sore, red and excessively swollen due to multiple attempts of removing a stuck ring
Scenario A:
If no additional damage will be caused by leaving the ring on, advise the patient to allow the finger to heal for 1 week before returning for you to attempt removal. This is recommended as it will allow the additional swelling to go down, and will make the procedure of removing the ring more comfortable for the patient. Before the patient leaves, instruct them to return to the hospital or clinic if the swelling gets worse.
After the patient has returned, or if they are unwilling/unable to wait, follow the steps below.
Scenario B:
If the patient is unwilling/unable to wait for the finger to heal, or if leaving the ring on risks causing more damage to the finger, follow the steps below for non-destructive ring removal.
In extremely time sensitive situations or cases where the bone may be compromised, use discretion on which removal technique is best. In some cases, a ring cutter, such as the Dolphin Ring Cutter, may be the necessary option for your patient.
Step 1: Assess the finger to ensure it is safe to apply the Ring Rescue Compression Device.
Step 2: Set expectations for the patient. If it is a Scenario A patient, and they have allowed the finger to heal, manipulating the finger off of the finger shouldn’t be a concern. For Scenario B patients who have a raw and sore finger, it is important to explain to the patient that the Compression Device will not cause discomfort, however, manipulating the ring off of the finger will likely be uncomfortable due to the damage to the finger. While the Compression Device will shrink the finger 100% of the time, the ring still needs to be manipulated off of the finger and in “angry finger” scenarios it will likely be a tight fit.
Step 3: Apply the device to the finger for 5 minutes. After the first round is complete, deflate the device and rotate the device a quarter turn to optimize compression.
Step 4: Deflate and remove the device. You will notice the finger is significantly reduced in size.
Step 5: Use proper manipulation techniques and our non-hydrating lubricant to remove the ring. Remember you have time, do not immediately try to pull the ring off. Slow and steady is best.
Additional Notes:
1 round of compression = 5 minutes
In extreme cases, if you feel like the finger would benefit for more than 2 rounds of compression, you can repeat Step 3 up to four times to continue to reduce finger size.
For more information on the Dolphin Ring Cutter, please click here.