Did you ever use a tourniquet?

[Good Samaritan]

(Am not a paramedic)

Resources I read say t's the "last resort" the control bleeding, after you tried all the usual wound dressing/bandages and even tying it with a good deal of pressure. But, did you ever have a case where you had to use the tourniquet? When the bandages clearly weren't doing their job?

And how obvious is it that you have to use it?

[Chief1C]

When you approach the patient, and the first thing that comes to mind is:

• JESUS!
• HOLY S#!T!
• OH F##K!
• DO YOU HAVE ANY BLOOD LEFT
• I WISH I HAD TWO MORE HANDS
• WHERE'S THE REST OF IT
• ET AL, ETC...

You should probably use a tourniquet. Our protocol allows for TK use, when direct pressure isn't working. They're pushing them for use now, no longer as a last resort. In fact, Pennsylvania has made commercially produced tourniquets a requirement. Several years ago, we'd probably have just stopped and got a stick somewhere and used a cravat. I've used TK's three times, all related to rural industry. The one that sticks out the most involved an arm caught in a grain bin drive belt. There was bone left, unfractured, but all the tissues, muscles, etc, were ripped away. The hand was degloved, and partially amputated, the radius and ulna were there, and they were feeling lonely. The blood loss was horrific, I don't know how the patient was still alive. Off the beaten path, very rough roads to get there, at least 25 miles out. I asked if there had been water in the room before, as to turn red and mock blood. No. So, wow... He survived, but with out an arm, which as a farmer... Is kind of throwing yourself into early retirement.

[paramedicmike]

You know, you could go to school to learn how to do all this stuff.

[Good Samaritan]

@ 2c4 - Terrific reply. I loved the initial description, very funny!

And thanks for letting me into your perspective and telling this story. You seem to know what you're doing!

@ paramedicmike - Though I have extreme curiosity about the field, I have a great job and life and I'm not looking for a change. I just like to feed my brain in stuff that it finds interesting and very important. Thank you though.

[paramedicmike]

No worries. EMT class can be completed with only a few hours a week over the course of several weeks. Part time training. It will probably raise more questions than it will answer. But it'll provide you a more insightful basis on which to feed your quest for knowledge.

You don't even have to change your job. Most people who go through EMT class don't get an EMT job, anyway. Hell, most of the EMTs I've worked with on an ambulance don't even really get an EMT job.

Make sure you find a class that mandates some sort of ride along time. I think if you start to see some of this stuff in the field it'll make more sense to you.

[tniuqs]

You know, you could go to school to learn how to do all this stuff.

Agreed .. Mike I smell something here with GS.

First: an ETI question.

Second: antiseptic vs soap and water.

Third: touniquets.

Fourth Hartmanns's solution ... very curious .

What next ... What's the worse thing you have ever seen ?

Just me but I smell a Troll, when with goggle one can find all the answers to these questions.

Edited July 22, 2011 by tniuqs

[paramedicmike]

Agreed .. Mike I smell something here with GS.

And it ain't petunias!

[tniuqs]

And it ain't petunias!

More like phish EH ?

It almost seems with the screen writers, book writers, posers, porn links and most recently the somewhat questionable "others" that EMTCity has become a target for "free" advice on line, when goggle works just as well.

I don't mind to supporting the "profession" as a helpful profession and answer some queries, these questions sound benign initially and then morph, there is an notable trend to be observed for the "needy" when a positive response is provided.

chbare picked it up too I believe ?

I just don't have the time to teach First Aid on line, am here to get others input / opinions in controversial questions in EMS or just have a bit of fun ... not provide links to lay folks.

cheers

Edited July 22, 2011 by tniuqs

[Good Samaritan]

@ tniuqs - I do always try to google before I ask. Google does answer the large volume of my questions. I guess I sometimes miss stuff, and this topic was to see your PoV in this forum with respect to the topic at hand.

As far as your views about me, I'm quite offended that you'd see someone seeking information as a "troll" in an experts forum. I'm not sure what's the purpose of a troll, to waste everybody's time? I'm certainly not feeling as though I'm wasting my time, but I guess if you feel as though I'm wasting yours you don't have to reply. I didn't mean to incur your wrath.

In my field of programming I enjoy giving free advice and sharing my knowledge with others whenever I can. I didn't ask you to teach me first aid, just like the people seeking advice don't ask me to teach them programming, but I do answer their specific problem with the knowledge in my field. I figured that's part of the greatness of the internet. Why is it so different in a paramedics forum?

@ paramedicmike - I could consider it in the future if circumstance allows it. Thanks for the advice regardless.

[tniuqs]

The search engine on EMT City is your best friend:

Ringers Lactate:

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php/topic/2608-lactated-ringers-for-fluid-resusfriend-or-foe/page__p__33287__hl__%2Bhartmans+%2Bsolution__fromsearch__1#entry33287

tourniquet's +

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php/topic/19805-tourniquet-use/page__p__255747__hl__tourniquet__fromsearch__1#entry255747

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php/topic/16170-israel-trauma-drsg/page__hl__%2Bwound+%2Bcare

Wound care: (3 pages of topics)

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

ETI: (5 pages of topics)

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

And my wrath ? Interesting that a challenge as to motivation and your feeling are hurt ? Flip the questions to "do you use excel" when on a programmers forum.

a goggle search Troll:

Internet Troll:

A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues. Such arguments can happen on blogs, Facebook, Myspace and a host of others.

The best thing you can do to fight an internet troll is to not answer..or report them.

Internet Troll

A person who feeds off the anger of others as he enrages them over the internet.

Internet Troll

An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.