injuries poisoning
How To Remove a Ring Using the String Method
Step by Step Description for Removing a Ring Using String
First, cleanse the surrounding skin with a mild antiseptic cleanser such aschlorhexidine. Do a proximal How To Do a Digital Nerve Block or metacarpal block to the finger to provide sufficient anesthesia without distending tissue of the finger shaft. To decrease edema, first wrap the Penrose drain around the finger from tip to palm. Leave the drain wrapped in place for a few minutes to reach the maximum effect, then remove it. Alternatively, wrap the finger from the distal phalanx towards the metacarpophalengeal joint with a thin, elastic cord (eg, strap from a nonrebreather mask) instead of the Penrose drain, then slip one end of it proximally underneath the ring. Leave in place for a few minutes, then unwrap the elastic cord, proximally to distally. Pass one end of about 2 feet of string, umbilical tape, or thick silk suture between the ring and the finger. Use the tip of a hemostat under the ring to grasp the string and pull it through. Start the wrapping: Wrap the distal string snugly in a clockwise direction around the swollen finger, beginning at the palm end next to the ring and continue through to the tip, including the PIP joint and the entire swollen finger. Place successive loops of wrap right next to each other to keep any swollen tissue from bulging between the strands. Once the wrapping is complete, carefully unwind the proximal end of the string that is tucked under the ring in the same clockwise direction to force the ring over that portion of the finger that has been compressed by the wrap. The PIP joint is the area that is most difficult to maneuver over and causes the most pain. 