Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
If it's wet and not yours, don't touch it!
Body substance isolation is something important I want to bring up early in the coarse of this blog. That is to say, "If it's wet and not yours, don't touch it." Saving a life is an honorable thing, but at risk of destroying your own it's no longer heroic - it's just plain reckless.
Suppose you stop to assist a wrecked motorist and they're bleeding. You help them out of the vehicle and stop the bleeding and months later you realize you're getting extremely sick and it won't stop. Congratulations, you now have AIDS. This could've been easily prevented by the proper use of body substance isolation techniques - namely rubber gloves in this case.
Gloves are cheap and you can place a few pairs in your.... wait for it.... glove box.
In today's society where it's trendy to contract allergies I suggest stocking latex-free gloves if you intend to save someone. You wouldn't want to wear latex if they're anaphylactic to it. That would be counterproductive. There exists a material called Nitrile which is most commonly used in health care. Like latex gloves they are available at stores and pharmacies and are VERY affordable. It's a small price to pay to protect yourself from potential infection.
Please, go buy gloves.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Scene Size-up
Let's continue with the subject of auto wrecks in light of the recent winter weather we finally experienced.
You're driving down the highway and witness a wreck, or encounter one that has recently occurred, and no one else has stopped to help. As you are a God Samaritan you decide to pull to the side of the road to assist.
Here I'll caution you never to be in a RUSH to assist the injured motorist. I recommend you act quick, but there are so many more things at play here than someone needing attention. Remember this: your first concern as a responder should always be your own safety. You've pulled up to an auto accident and aim to assist, but you don't want to become a victim yourself.
The first thing you should to is park your car at a safe distance from the accident on the traffic side and angled so that it can act as a shield between you and traffic. You don't want to be hit by others who are so enthralled by watching you they forget they're driving. Once you're stopped use your cell phone (assuming you have one) and dial 911 - and don't assume someone else already has; it's not uncommon that no one has. Before getting out of your vehicle look around for potential threats, ie: gasoline leaking from the wrecked vehicle; fire; other wrecks in progress; etc... Remember to turn on your hazard lights so other motorists see your vehicle, as you don't want to cause other accidents. Also, if you have flares in your vehicle first aid kit (and I suggest you do) this is a perfect opportunity to unleash your inner pyromaniac. Place them in a line at a safe distance from your vehicle on the traffic side to increase visibility and warn others.
You're closer now to being a hero, but before you approach the vehicle I recommend you reassess the accident - again scanning for fires, fuel leaks, and any other potential hazard you'd like not to fall victim to. When you're sure you're not going to be electrocuted or blown up then finally approach the vehicle.
Now this step is critical, and pay close attention: The angle at which you approach the vehicle can save a life! Follow me: big highway wreck at high speeds = potential cervical spine injury. This person's neck could be broken to a point that turning their head could paralyze them, or even cause them to instantaneously drop dead - and believe me when I say that it happens. You're best angle of approach is to swing wide around the vehicle and approach it from the front so the passengers can see you coming from ahead.
That is all I'll cover in this post. I imagine you've now caught on to the theme here: safety. I know everyone wants to be Rambo, but deep down we're all made mostly of water and are very brittle. If you get hit by a car on the highway you're no going to walk it off. Don't just rush to the patient but make it safe so you can get to them as soon as possible. Protecting number one is the surest way to get that patient to the hospital alive.
The Good Samaritan
Picture yourself driving to work or the store or on your way home. Traffic is moderate and rain is coming down fairly heavy. Your hands are at 10 and 2 and you're driving safely. Suddenly someone passes you going way too fast while talking on their cell phone and as they change lanes ahead of you they hydroplane and lose control. Their car spins a few time and careens off the highway into the ditch and then up the other side until impacting with a tree. You saw how fast they were traveling and you know their collision must have been damaging. You're a Good Samaritan at heart and want to help.
"How?" you might ask.
I'm writing this blog as an instruction for saving lives such as these.
First, an introduction:
My name is Bruce Allan West. I was a combat medic in the US Army where I taught Combat Lifesaver which is an advanced battlefield first responder. I have also served as a civilian EMT, worked at a technician's level in ER's, and have attended a fire academy where I learned vehicle collision scene control techniques. My experiences in the field of emergency medicine at a technicians level have been vast over the course of seven years, and I have been able to assist in saving many lives.
Aside from emergency care I enjoy writing. I'm beginning this blog as a means of combining two of my passions into one.
Please check back later for updates and I will share my experiences and training curriculum with you so you'll be prepared when you witness that terrifying wreck.
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