I got cut on some metal yesterday at work pretty bad , hit a artery and was
Quite the mess, squirting blood everywhere. I got to the emergency room and they had to do quite a bit of work to get the bleeding stopped. While sitting in the emergency room I got to thinking what would I have done in the back country had something like this happened. I'm sure I could get the blood stopped, but the hematoma and pain rendered my hand useless. I can't do anything with the hand this morning. I was thinking how difficult it would be just to pack up camp.

What is your contingency plan in the event something like this happens? I can't even button my pants rather alone take down a tent.

Well that sure sucks. I've cut myself up pretty good a few time working with metal over the years but never hit an artery or had blood squirting. That'd be kind of freaky to deal with in the wilds.

I carry some adhesive suture kits I got from an EMT in my FAK, and I have some needles and thread just in case I have to stitch myself or others up, but mostly for gear repairs.

I would have just left most my gear there and taken only what I needed to get back to my car or someplace to get the help I needed. I might leave a note with my gear explaining that I'd be back, and hope for the best that it would still be there when I could go back for it, but that would depend on conditions, I might not take the extra time to write a note.

This was a cut from metal! I doubt I could write a note, well it would be left handed and maybe someone could read it! Are you talking about steristrips? Last year a guy I was camping with got cut pretty good and we used steristrips with great success. I guess in a pinch duct tape would also work, there would be no way I could have stitched it with my left hand. Makes me want to carry a suture needle in my FAK.

Yeah, arterial bleeding is NOT good. Have to agree with Bill about immediate evacuation because depending on how far away from medical care you don't know how much blood you are going to eventually loose so buggin' out immediately seems prudent. Gear vs. my life...no brainer there. I would try to grab enough to make a tourniquet if needed and some type of material for compression bandage and scoot, fingers crossed.

Hope you heal quickly and get back to normal soon,

jimmyb

There's an argument for exercising your non-dominant hand occasionally, so you can do at least a few more things with it in an emergency.

We discussed serious bleeding at length in the Wilderness First Aid class I took (and which I highly recommend for everyone!) Pressure bandages, of course, for the bleeding. Of course that may take a while. You don't want to start walking or thinking about wound closure until you're quite sure the bleeding has stopped and won't restart if you start moving.

Tourniquets have been considered a no-no for years--their use almost always result in loss of limb--but there may be a very few cases in which it's your only choice. We were told in my WFA class that In that case, use something that is 4-6 inches wide, the wider the better--it's using narrow bands (the traditional shoelace) that really does the tissue damage.

For wound closure, it's considered better to use butterfly sutures (tape with "wings" cut out and folded back for the part over the cut so they don't stick to the wound edges). Amateur sutures and superglue will have to be removed in the ER and will get you a big lecture from the ER surgeon (especially if it's my son-in-law!) about infection--even if you're lucky and infection hasn't already started.

Or just slap a bandage over the wound and leave it open. Closure isn't nearly as important as prevention of infection. Use antibiotic ointment only on the bandage--don't put it down in the wound (retards healing).

In cases of serious bleeding, irrigating the wound would remove clots and start the bleeding again.

Looking at the photo, all I can say is, OUCH! Best wishes for quick healing!

I would think that arterial bleeding when you're alone would constitute enough of an emergency to push the PLB button. Any SAR folks want to chime in here?

Please seriously consider a Wilderness First Aid class, which teaches you how to stablize injuries in situations where rescue may take several days. REIs all over the country offer them. The best first aid kit is what's between your ears!

This has made me think more seriously about a PLB. I do try and use my left hand but it is so incapable of certain chores. I broke my right hand 10 years ago and for the next year I used my left a lot but have since reverted back to primarily right hand use.

Agree 100%. Alone or not. Of course all scenarios are different but heavy bleeding from somewhere like a femoral artery could leave you with not much hope of survival period. You just might not survive something like that in the back country with even a great deal of first aid or better.

Thoughts like this are what scare the heck out of me in my deep dark psyche . I am glad for the most part human behavior doesn't dwell on thoughts like this or we would all be paralyzed by fear and wouldn't adventure to far from our homes. Here is where your best offense is a good defense, think twice when things get sketchy and listen to that little voice in your head when it starts talking to you. But realize that a fall in the shower could be fatal as well so where you wanna get it at home or some beautiful wild place that fills your heart and soul.

jimmyb

I hope you didn't cut a tendon. That would screw your hand up for a long time. Good luck, I hope you heal fast.