(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)
Things to consider beyond bleeding
No matter how good you are at stopping a hemorrhaging blood vessel, you or someone that you designate must call 9-1-1 right now! Don’t say “Somebody call 9-1-1!” Bob may think that John will call; John thinks that
Bob is calling – and no one calls. Instead designate: “John, call 9-1-1!” If you are faced with more than one victim, which might occur in a motor vehicle accident, decide as quickly as you can where the worst bleeding is occurring – which person and which part of the body. Unless you have extensive medical training in the management of trauma that will be an exceedingly challenging task. Accept the fact that you probably won’t do everything right. But whatever you do will make a difference.
Anticipate that the person whose bleeding you have managed to stop will be likely to go into shock – a condition in which blood pressure falls and the diminished output of the heart causes multiple organs to fail. It is often fatal. It is characterized by weakness, pale, clammy skin, a rapid pulse, rapid breathing, anxiety, and confusion. Elderly persons are most at risk and need to be observed closely. Although first aid manuals advise keeping the victim warm it’s important not to cover bleeding wounds.
A compound fracture, a broken bone whose fragments protrude through the skin, is likely to include one or more torn blood vessels. Pressure and packing may not be possible without causing further injury, and placement of a tourniquet is the first step if there is significant bleeding. In doing so take particular care not to move the extremity in order to avoid damage to nerves and further damage to torn blood vessels. When emergency responders are only minutes away, wait for them to splint the extremity for transport.
Save that finger! Rapid transport of trauma victims and the ability to reattach body parts is one of the triumphs of modern medicine. A severed finger should be wrapped in a damp paper or cloth towel, placed in a ziplock
bag or similar container and sent to the emergency room with the owner. The bag with the finger can be placed on ice, especially if it will take more than a few minutes to reach the hospital but ice should not come in direct contact with the digit. Never use dry ice. Saving a larger body part such as a foot or hand is beyond the scope of this article.Continue reading“Your Red Bags: Stop The Bleed – Part 2, by Philip J. Goscienski, M.D.”
