Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (23 page)

In an emergency, having the medical gear you need can be a godsend. But what if you’re forced to make do with the materials at hand? There are plenty of DIY options.

BUTTERFLY STRIPS
Small pieces of duct tape can be snipped with scissors to create butterfly dressings to hold cuts closed. Snip them twice on each of the long sides, and fold the middle under to create a non-stick section that would float over the laceration.

DRESSINGS
Although they are not sterile, feminine hygiene pads can provide you with a decent wound dressing. Tampons are a bit more sterile, and they can be laid sideways on a wound. Strap down any of these dressings with clean cloth strips, tape, or any other binding you have at hand.

INSECT STING RELIEF
Meat tenderizer is made of enzymes that break down tough steak proteins—and those found in bug venom! Mix the tenderizer and a drop or two of water into a paste and apply it directly to the sting or bite. It won’t help a rattlesnake bite, but this mixture can somewhat relieve the pain from hornet, wasp, scorpion, and ant stings.

SPLINTS
Splints are one of the easier bits of medical gear to improvise. Your goal is immobilization, which can be achieved with any number of rigid items and binding materials, such as a board and some duct tape. Make sure you stuff adequate padding inside the splint to properly stabilize the limb and ease your patient’s pain—use crumpled toilet paper or newspaper, spare clothing, or anything else that works.

BURN GEL
Smear a light coating of toothpaste onto the dressing for a burn wound and then apply. It’s simple and surprisingly effective, too.

DISINFECTANT
Keep infections at bay by putting hand sanitizer or straight liquor onto topical wounds. Yes, it will hurt, but it’s better to hurt now and heal than to let a wound become infected, which will result in a lot more pain later.

Remember, the first step in taking care of injuries is knowing what supplies to use and how to use them properly. This is the baseline level of what any well-prepared person should know. To take your knowledge to the next level, there are no shortage of first-responder and first-aid courses and books available. You can also inquire with your local Red Cross for information on classes.

First-aid and first-responder courses are just the beginning when learning about emergency medical treatment. Your local college or other educational institution may offer EMS classes lasting from a few weeks of accelerated training to a few months of intermittent sessions that you can fit into your schedule. These classes will not only give you training but also prepare you to acquire an EMT license.

The two most important aspects of a person’s vitals are their respiration and circulation—breathing and heartbeat. To count someone’s breaths, either watch for the rise and fall of his chest or listen to his breathing (with or without a stethoscope) for 15 seconds, then multiply by four (normal is 12–20 breaths per minute).

The easiest places to take someone’s pulse are the wrist and the throat. For the wrist, press two fingers against the inside of the forearm, on the thumb side. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds, and multiply that by four (60 to 100 is normal). For the throat, find the Adam’s apple, then move your fingers to the side just under the jaw. Press gently with two fingers, and measure the beats using the same method.

Diagnosing the type of blood flow coming from a wounded person will help you determine the severity of his or her injuries and how to treat them. Always handle the most serious injuries first.

OOZING BLOOD
Scrapes, scratches, or abrasions that open capillaries result in oozing blood. Infection is the biggest worry here, since the skin, which is the body’s first layer of defense, is damaged. Clean and disinfect the wound, then apply antibiotic ointment and dressings, and change the dressings daily. Look for infection, which may need skilled treatment.

FLOWING BLOOD
If blood flows, it’s the result of damage to a vein. Elevate the injury above the heart, clean any debris from the wound if possible, and apply direct pressure. Add more bandages as needed and, once the bleeding stops, secure dressings to the wound. You may need to find more skilled medical care for further treatment.

SPURTING BLOOD
If blood is bright red and spurts, it comes from an arterial injury and is immediately life-threatening. Elevate the injury, apply direct pressure, and add more bandages if they soak through. If needed, locate and apply pressure to the nearest arterial pressure point (see item 335). If the bleeding won’t stop, use a tourniquet to cut off blood flow (but be aware that this increases the risk that an amputation will be necessary, and should therefore be an option only in cases of arterial bleeding). Seek medical care immediately.

INTERNAL BLEEDING
When an organ or vessel inside the body has been injured, blood can fill the spaces inside the body. The injured person may go into shock, become confused due to low blood flow, or have decreased fluid (urine and sweat) output. Incline the victim with the injured area raised to restrict blood flow, and he or she should be treated for shock. Again, seek medical care immediately.

Skin takes up to 72 hours to seal after an injury. Small cuts and scrapes just need to be kept clean, but larger cuts will need more care.

Unless you have proper sutures and surgical needle, don’t stitch the wound. Line up the edges of the cut and place adhesive butterfly strips in a criss-cross pattern down the length of the wound. Dress with sterile wrappings.

In a pinch you can also use superglue (which was first tested as a wound sealant in the Vietnam war). Coat only the outside of the cut’s edges, not inside the cut itself.

Knowing how to disinfect wounds can be vital—even small cuts can get infected. And if your body’s fighting off an infection, it has fewer resources to provide for your overall health.

STEP 1
Stop the bleeding and assess the injury. If it won’t stop bleeding or it’s deep and needs stitches, get professional medical help.

STEP 2
Flush the wound with clean water or saline. Avoid peroxide or alcohol, which can actually damage healthy tissues.

STEP 3
Cover the wound with antibiotic ointment and apply dressings to keep out dirt and debris.