Treating Critical Wound

Terminology:
(ROT = RULE OF THUMB)
(SPHA = SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP ASAP)

Treatment of critical bleeding:

  1. Check the patients condition:
    -Unconscious?
    -Responsive? Is able to speak?
    -If conscious, check for shock/state of mind
    -[ROT] If the patient can respond to your questions, patient can usually be classified as non-critical
    -Any visual un-normalaties (pale skin, visible damage, etc)? → Can be a clue to your way of treatment.
    -Check the pupils if the situation is not critical
    -Largened pupils = possible medication/subtance use
    -Eyes moving a lot = possible head injury (SPHA)

  2. Scan for major damage (if the patient is unconscious)
    -Major arteries (i.e. neck, wrists, groin-area…)
    -If visual bleeding:
    -Take your belt, or make a DIY-bandage from shirt etc.
    Wrap around ABOVE the wound ([ROT] to close bloodflow) and put a solid, long object (solid branch, i.e.)
    between the wrap and the leg. Twist this “valve” to close the artery.

    ! IMPORTANT: DO NOT OPEN THE WRAP !

    Especially if it has been on the patient longer than 20 mins,

    • if you loosen a tourniquet you’ll likely send a shower of boot clots through the body and can trigger strokes or heart attacks by doing so.

    • the “old” blood in the “closed” limb may been toxified, thus poisoning the body.

      -After this, SPHA

      (Editors note to reader: do not try this yourself without practise.)