When you're in the kitchen, there are countless things that can go wrong. We're not talking about burning toast or overcooking salmon — we mean the disasters that can occur while deep-frying a turkey or when a grease fire lights up your stove. And now, what seems like one of the simplest tasks has turned into an ER nightmare: Cutting avocados. But before you scoff at the idea of this being dangerous, keep in mind that first-response doctors have seen so many horrible cases, they've given the injury a nickname: avocado hand.In fact, the secretary and former president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons told The Times in 2017 that, at the time, he was seeing "four patients a week" in the emergency room for avocado-related injuries. "I had to get three stitches and I have lost most of the sensation in my finger," one 29-year-old patient told Munchies. "And when I was in the (emergency room), there was a woman with the exact same injury." We'll spare you the gory photos people have posted to social media.The avocado hand epidemic is prevalent here in the U.S., too, leading the The New York Times to publish a video instructing readers how to properly cut the fruit open without getting hurt. But what the Times and other food sites fail to explain is how to get the pit off of the knife. After whacking it onto the blade and carefully twisting it out of the avocado, you can really struggle — and risk slicing open your palm (or worse!) — to grasp the slippery thing. But there's a really simple way to avoid all that. All you have to do is pinch the pit from the opposite, dull side of the knife. But you're still not totally in the clear after this. Many people make the mistake of slicing each avocado half while it's in their hand. However, the skin is not as thick and protective as you think. Instead, peel off the skin or scoop the flesh out, set it down on a cutting board, and then slice it up. WRONGRIGHTNow that you know the safe way to slice up the deliciously healthy treat, whip up some avocado toast. You've earned it.