Taking control of external hemorrhageYou are walking home on the sidewalk, and a motorcycle roars past you. You immediately notice

that he is riding dangerously close the curb. The rider is clearly distracted, as he is being followed

very closely by another driver. Looking back at the car behind him, the rider sticks out his right arm

to signal for a turn, and his bike drifts towards the curb. The wheel makes contact, and the biker

is thrown from the motorcycle, causing his arm to strike

the pavement. You rush to his aid. As you look down at

the rider, you notice his arm is spurting bright, red blood.

Picture yourself in this scenario. If you came across this

scene, would you know what to do? If the answer is no,

check out the information below. Just a few minutes of

reading could help you save a life.

What is external hemorrhage?External hemorrhage is defined as bleeding

outside the body. The bleeding is associated with

a traumatic injury, examples of which could result

from car accidents, gunshot/knife wounds, and

mishandling of power tools, among many others.

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Enhance your healthcare vocabularyDressing: Applied directly to the wound to stop bleeding and promote healing.

Examples include: sterile pads, gauze, or clean towels.

Bandage: Used to hold dressing in place, such as

gauze wraps or cravats.

Hypovolemic Shock: Shock caused by a loss of

blood volume. This condition results in the shutdown

of internal organs and a sharp decrease in blood

pressure.

Summer, 2016 - Introductory Issue

Approach to external hemorrhageWhen approaching a victim who has suffered a traumatic injury, you must first complete a head to toe body

scan. Identify areas of severe bleeding and quickly take measures to control the external hemorrhage.

Many cases of external hemorrhage are minor and can be controlled by direct pressure. Quickly apply

dressings to the wound and press firmly. Remember, you must push hard to stop the bleed! Dressings

can come from your first aid kit or can be household items such as clean towels. If the bleed is severe

and you don’t have access to a first aid kit, consider using clothing or cotton material in your immediate

area to control bleeding.

Difficulty controlling external hemorrhageIf you are unable to control the hemorrhage initially, and the wound

bleeds through the dressing, apply additional dressings over the

original. DO NOT REMOVE THE ORIGINAL DRESSING! As you

apply direct pressure you begin to form blood clots, removal

of the dressing will pull off these clots, and will hinder your

progress in getting the bleed under control. If the bleed is on

an extremity, elevation is an effective technique to implement.

Raise the arm or leg above the heart. This will force the blood

to travel up and out of the wound, which should slow down the

flow of blood to the wound. If you are able to get the bleeding

under control, apply a bandage to secure the dressing in place.

Popular tourniquet brandsCombat Application Tourniquet (CAT): This tourniquet features a

windlass system and free moving internal band, and also has

the advantage of self-application. This tourniquet is very

common for military and prehospital care. (Ambulance)

Swat-T tourniquet: An inexpensive tourniquet that

is common in first aid kits. This essentially looks like

a giant rubber band that is stretched and connected

above the wound. This tourniquet also has the benefit

of being cut into a couple smaller tourniquets if there

are multiple victims.

Tourniquet applicationIf you unable to control bleeding with direct pressure and elevation, it’s time to apply a tourniquet. There

are several types of manufactured tourniquets, but you also have the ability to make your own tourniquet.

Let’s take a look at both methods:

Make your own tourniquetThere are many different everyday objects you can use as a tourniquet. Any material that is about an inch

wide can be tied above the wound site. You can use strips of clothing/towels, your belt, or even duct

tape to make a tourniquet. Additionally, you will need to find a torsion device of some kind that you can

twist to tighten and stop circulation to the area. Examples of torsion devices could be pencils, sticks,

screwdrivers, etc. Remember, tourniquets need to be applied above the affected area (about 2-3 inches)

and can only be applied to limbs. (Arms/Legs)

You will tie the tourniquet a total of three times. First, tie

the tourniquet above the wound. Second, place your

torsion device and tie to secure it in place. Twist your

torsion device until circulation is cut off, and then tie a

third time to secure the tourniquet in place.

Once applied, DO NOT release the tourniquet and quickly

get the victim to advanced care.

Healthcare tech cornerInitially approved for use on the battlefield, an innovative gunshot

wound intervention has been approved by the FDA for civillian

use. The Xstat Gunshot Wound System looks like a giant syringe,

the head of which is inserted into the wound and the plunger is

depressed. The syringe then releases 92 compressed, cellulose

sponges that have an

absorbent coating,

and the wound can

be plugged in less

than 15 seconds. This system can be especially helpful when

camping or hunting, where emergency response times can be

slow, due to the rural nature of the activity.

Critical Thinking!Take a look around your environment. What do you have within a few steps that

could be used as a tourniquet? Think fast! Remember seconds count when controlling external hemorrhage.

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