After a long day helping patients in the emergency room, Priya is prepping dinner when her knife slips and neatly severs her finger.
Fortunately, being an ER doctor, she knows exactly what to do.
First, she cleans the wound with a wet paper towel and bandages her finger, careful not to wrap the wound too tightly.
To manage the pain, she knows not to take ibuprofen — which would prevent the wound from clotting — and instead opts for acetaminophen.
Then she rinses off the severed finger, wraps it in a clean, moist towel, and puts it in a cooler while avoiding direct contact with ice.
Finally, she rushes to the hospital, where luckily, a skilled hand surgeon is on staff.
Thanks to the clean cut and Priya's rapid response, the surgeon can get to work.
They set the bones and fix them in place with wires before repairing the tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and finally, the skin.
The entire incident is finished in about eight hours.
And after a few months of occupational therapy, Priya's hand is back in action.
