Notes on medical response.

Like I previously stated in one of my posts, many of us are too busy to find time to actually prepare and I've been around others who simply state that they don't need it as "the ambulance is just around the corner". I shudder at that last part. While it is true that emergency services are minutes away after dialing 911 (or whatever your emergency number may be), it is important to remember that time is crucial. Say you're watching your friend bleed out in front of you and you dial 911. What are you going to do? Stand there and let him bleed out all over the ground and moan in agony while you're expecting that ambulance to just arrive out of the blue? Sorry, they didn't mention that there are drivers that don't take their lights and sirens seriously.

Now we'll rewind.

Your friend cuts him self pretty bad in the arm and he's losing a lot of blood. You notice it's squirting bright red and he's quickly going pale. Now, you're not trained and didn't think you need to be but you, as a rational-being, notice that something isn't right. Your conscious-mind will tell you that you need to stop that bleed. So instinctively you grab a cloth and you put it against the wound. Then there are people surrounding the situation and you tell them to back off, as it's making your friend feel restless with all the attention. You tell them to clear the area as the ambulance comes around the corner..

...

1) The number one thing to do in any emergency is to REMAIN CALM. Simply by staying next to some one's side and consciously making effort to not panic will save that person's life. Your judgement will not be clouded, you won't waste time relaying information to emergency call-takers (911) and you won't make the patient uneasy. With your judgement clear, you'll be able to make decisions and observe things clearly. You may notice that there are a group of people gathering around or that there's something that is causing a potential hazard around your patient. Relaying information to emergency call-takers properly is crucial as you are reporting what you see and feel, which by the time the first responders get there, they'll already have an idea of how to treat the person--which saves more time. Ensuring that your patient is relaxed, kept warm and comfortable does not stress the body into making an injury worse. Shock** (medical shock) sets in pretty fast, and it usually means the person is losing valuable time. Gain time by allowing them to relax, which can help slow down the onset of shock.

Going back to the story; because this person stayed calm, they were able to observe what was going on and how to appropriately react to the situation unfolding in front of them.

**Shock is the body's way of reacting to a traumatic injury or life-threatening illness. In a gist, with however blood-loss occurs, the body compensates by withdrawing available blood away from non-vital organs (bowels, skin, etc) to the main ones to stay alive, such as the heart, lungs and brain. At the same time, sensor organs inside the body's compromised artery or vein is sending messages to the brain, telling it to release epinephrine (adrenaline) into the body, which constrict blood vessels. That makes the heart work harder, in turn cycles oxygen (from the blood cells) around the body quickly to give it resources to hang on just a little longer.**

2)  Most first aid situations are dealt with using Common Sense. A few examples: Blood is coming out and it looks like it needs to be stopped, use your hand to stop it. Someone isn't breathing properly, tell them to relax and sit down. Someone got hit by a car, tell them to not move because it could make things worse. A lot of things done in first aid are crude but effective ways of ensuring the survival of the person in need. You do not need to be a surgeon to save the life of someone you love.

3) One thing that people fail to realize when it comes to responding to any emergency is your safety is number one. Simply put--you cannot help if you are hurt.

4) On kits; lots of pre-made first aid kits are not equipped to deal with traumatic scenarios. Get some training or help from someone who does have one and make your own kit.


Now if you do not find the time to get training, follow some of these steps on how to ensure the patient's safety.

1) Upon arrival, first ask if the person wants your help. If they are unable to answer (unconscious), then it is implied that they want your help. If they don't want your help, call 911 if you wish, but otherwise leave because you may end up in some liability problem.

2) There are things that call-takers or responders will need to know. Try and find out what happened by asking witnesses as their information is important. If not, don't move the person (unless they are in danger--IE: a gas tank about to explode beside them) and assess if they are conscious and breathing.

2) Secure the area to prevent further harm. Just make sure no one walks over the person or surrounds them, which can make things worse. The idea here is to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. So regardless keep unnecessary people away and don't let anything else happen. Just in case.

3) Enlist the help of others who are willing to help. Have someone provide security to keep others away, another to update the ambulance (if somehow you cannot) and others to flag down the medics to lead them to the site.

4) Keep the person rested and calm. Making their body get all worked up can complicate the compensations the body is trying to create for the situation at hand. Reassurance is one of the best tools as well. Stay by their side and do not leave.

5) Once help arrives, quickly update and move out of the way. Stand by if your assistance is needed again as you now developed a "relationship" with this person.


I hope this helps people out there in the real world, as nothing is ever flowers and sunshine. The way paths cross out there can potentially be fatal and it's best to remember how to at least try and fight your way through it. Although I highly suggest you get training of some kind, please do me a favour and remember the things said here.

Imagine this.

You're on a long, exhausting drive home from a relative's place in the middle of a forested mountain miles away from the urban jungle you're used to. Your eyes feel heavy, the dash-board lights become dreamy blurs in your night vision and the clock on the radio seems to have gone back in time. What time was it when you last checked the time? How much further do you have to go? How was your wife's day? You imagine laying in bed with her--your fingers running through her silk-like hair. She smiles and you smile back. Then all of a sudden the loudest explosion you'll ever hear wakes you from your slumber and your vehicle tumbles down a steep decline at the side of the highway you were just driving on.


Tossing and turning, vertigo kicking in, you don't believe how many curse words you've repeated in a span of thirty seconds and then suddenly...things stop, just as fast as they started. Obviously, you're awake, dazed and confused; wondering what the hell just happened. A small fire bursts from the crumpled front end of your jeep and adrenaline kicks in. You struggle to undo the seat-belt, at this point not even caring how the hell the fire started but the belt's jammed. You groan and curse and yell as you struggle to free yourself.


But out of the blue your thoughts calm and instinct kicks in.

Your knife.


Fumbling for the Spydero clipped inside your pocket, you flip out the silver blade that glints in the light from the fire and slash at the fabric running across your chest and hips. Unraveling the belt, you attempt to move only to feel a shocking pain shooting up your spine from your right leg. Taking a quick glance, you notice that you're bleeding from just below the knee cap. The fire begins to engulf the remainder of the engine block and it creeps forward towards you. You respiratory and circulatory rate shoot up, your vision narrows and the pain in your leg suddenly subsides. You even have the foresight to grab your Maxpedition backpack out from behind the passenger seat. Just as you begin to crawl out of the already broken driver's side window--you notice that the fire is moving faster and faster at you.

Without another thought you hoist your self up by grabbing the top of your door and with all your might you extricate your self out of the vehicle as if you've done it millions of times. Those hard early mornings of jogging and weight lifting pays off doesn't it?

Tumbling onto the dirt, you notice that your jeep is now in flames and you know you have to move. Picking yourself up, you jump down into a small dip in the ground by some roots of a tall Grand fir tree. Another explosion--your vehicle is gone. But hopefully it's just a matter of time until someone sees the flames.

A sudden tickling feeling felt on your right leg and you realize that the bleeding hasn't stopped on its own. Rolling up your jean pant legging you realize that there's a rather nasty gash and a steady flow of crimson coming out of it. Instincts kick in. You dig into the breast pocket of your jacket, fish around for the Z-Pak gauze pack and field dressing you taped together and separate the two. Opening up the vacuum-sealed pack of gauze, you press it into your leg. A white hot stinging pain is the consequence but you know you have to do it. Keeping direct pressure with the gauze on your leg, you tear open the field dressing with your teeth and place it over the packing gauze and tie the bandage tails.

You think you're in the clear but something tells you to just make sure. Pulling out your SureFire E1B flashlight from your pocket, you use the deadly bright 200-lumen LED to shine at the environment around you.

Nothing but continuing darkness and trees.

Laying onto your back, you take one deep breath and wait for rescue. You got enough supplies in your backpack for about three to four days, including enough light and other resources to ensure you are picked up by the authorities.

One last thought enters your mind before rest. What's your wife going to think after you blew up the jeep?

-----------------------

Just a short story I decided to write. It comes as a situation that can happen to any of us, no matter how well aware you are. Life is short, and it can be shorter. Make sure you live it fully to the end.

Paracord Bracelet (550 Cord)

Ever been in a dire situation, where you need some kind of rope or line to repair equipment, raise a tent or even save a life? Well, even if you haven't, would you want something stylish-looking and practical wrapped around your wrist and ready?

If you do, you need one of these....

Paracord (or 550 cord) bracelets are fashionable, yet extremely practical, wrist-bands made of 550 cord. Generally one strain of paracord is strong enough to hold 550 pounds of weight (hence the 550. Figured out why they're called "Paracord"? Think about it. Yep, it's parachute cord.). Soldiers overseas have used this to repair rifle slings, gear bags while first responders have them for just in case need. A well-prepared human being, during a flood, used one to save a little girl who almost drowned and from what I heard, someone used this to prove he can hang off of his apartment room window.

They usually vary in size and weave, and costs $12.00-$15.00 in CAD. Some may come with a mini-buckle release or in a knot. Colours differ--OD green, desert tan, black, pink, yellow, blue, black / blue, red...you name it. They range in 12-16 feet (when unraveled). At this very moment, I'm staring at mine. :)

EMT Shears

Health-care professionals, Law Enforcement / Security, Firefighters, Soldiers / Operators and any person trying to get through life will need one of these. EMT Shears (also called Trauma shears) were originally designed for first responders or military / private contract personnel to give them the ability to cut a patient's clothes off cleanly, or for any other use. Shears, as they're generally called, aren't ordinary scissors. Take some scissors from your desk drawer and just try to cut a dime or a penny in two. The reason for going over the edge in that manner is the fact that these things need to cut through tough leather, ballistic-nylon or thick clothing to expose wounds / injuries that the first responder may need to see.

If you're wondering, the reason for the bend and that little hook at the tip is to make sure that the patient remains further unharmed while you snip away at what's in the way.

My three: Black / Silver, Black / Tactical and Desert Tan / Tactical

They are available in black, OD green, desert tan, rescue orange or urban green handles and have either non-reflective black coating on the shears or plain silver. Some of the good ones (made in Germany) come with an O2 hole drilled into one of the shear-blades in order for a first responder / medic to open up the oxygen tank.

Keep one close by, inside your backpack / purse, your Bug-out or operational gear, LBV / MOLLE / Plate-carrier vests or (where most keep them), in a blow-out trauma kit or medic bag (which I will go over later). Oh yeah, there are also Mini-EMT shears that are great for smaller trauma kits / medic bags.

$4.00-$5.00 CAD.

Gerber MP600 Needlenose 07550G (Non-EOD) Multi-tool

Every man or woman should have some kind of multi-tool in their possession--Leathermans, Gerbers, Victorinox, to name a few. Again, stressing that anything can come across in your life that will delay your progress, you will need the basic tools to get you past that. One of them is the Gerber MP600 Needlenose 0755G (Non-EOD) Multi-tool.

There are many components that this 8.2 oz tool carries. Ranging from blades, a wire-cutter, its plier, various-sized and different screwdrivers, can and bottle openers and even a lanyard ring, this thing gets you past most of the obstacles that you may come across. One very, very neat feature is the one-handed opening. The needlenose pliers and wire-cutters are hidden within the tool itself to make it compact enough to hide in its ballistic-nylon sheath. Length closed is around 5 inches, and overall is 6.56 inches.

MP600 Closed

It does come with an accessories kit that has additional bits that the original tool itself may have missed.

The unfortunate side about this item is the fact that, unlike Leathermans (popular multi-tool company), the tools are located within the handle where the person would have to flick open the pliers (by the way, they're not held open via internal spring), find what you need, lock it open and then slide the pliers closed for extra security. However, this is still an issued-tool to troops overseas and is still reliable enough to do the job. I should know, I have this snuggled in a 5.11 Tactical magazine holster on my duty-belt and I use it frequently.

It costs around $99.99 CAD without tax.

Schrade Extreme Survival Folding Knife (Unknown model)

I never figured that Walmart would have such a great folding knife for such a cheap price ($20.00 CAD). This Schrade Extreme Survival folder (SC5TBS) is light, durable, slick and comes with a tanto-point and combo edge (half-serrated). It has a smooth opening, where one could flick it open in tactical situations or simply deploy it in "friendlier" situations (you know, to not scare the Sheeple ;) ) and the liner-lock keeps it steady when unfolded. One minor draw-back is the inability to switch the pocket clip, so if you're left handed, unfortunately you may have to live with it in your Support / Weak / Non-reactive side. The half-serrated blade is good enough if one would need to cut some rope or line, and the smooth blade is for the other tasks that may be in your way.

If you happen to see this knife, pick it up right away as either a back-up for your Primary carry or (as what I do) have it as that. Best EDC knife I've had so far.

Streamlight Stylus Pro

Honestly one of the best Everyday Carry lights available in the market, the Streamlight Stylus Pro runs at 48 lumens of light capability to allow the user to see things in the dark. Light enough in your pocket and the same length and width as a regular Sharpie pen, you may forget that it's there until you actually need it. The case material is aircraft-grade aluminium with a MIL-spec coating that reduces the chances of having abrasion marks and its tough poly-carbonate lens makes it even stronger if and when you drop it, allowing it to protect the C4 white LED. It's run-time is 6.25 hours and the LED itself has 30,000 hours of use. It also comes in a green LED at 5 lumens to save night vision and lasts 50,000 hours.

The tail-cap switch is both momentary and click-on for constant use. Momentary, best suited for quick searches, and the click-on / constant for bigger tasks. It's unbreakable clip next to the tail-cap allows you to clip it into your pocket instead of fishing around for it.

One great thing about this light, aside from all the other great features; the batteries. Simply pick up two AAA cells, slip them in and you're ready to shine this little thing. It doesn't need the expensive SureFire CR123A batteries that almost costs a fortune. It's available in matte black, silver, green, blaze orange, blue and red.

This light is best suited for law enforcement / security, health-care professionals, industrial workers and mechanics and a simple everyday carry item.

The one reason why I prefer this over it's smaller brother (Streamlight MicroStream, which I'll do a review later on), is that it still gives me that option of a point-impact weapon against an assailant if need be.

Be it a power outage, a back-up light source or just to find your house keys that you may have dropped in your car you will want this in your possession. Costs around $20-30 CAD.