How I would give 1st aid to myself. If I had an open chest wound in the field.

[1oldcoyote]

Open chest wound; How I would treat myself.

In Emergency Services, the phrase "Golden Hour". Refers to the likely hood of survival in a serious trauma incident. Getting that victim to advanced emergency care/treatment within that 1st hour. There are many factors that play into that 1st hour as for survival of that trauma victim.

To treat an open chest wound. 1st thing I would do immediately is. Place my bare hand(meaty area at the base of my thumb on my palm). Over that exposed skin wound to plug it up. Sealing that wound with my hand. In order to stop air rushing into my chest cavity, when I inhale. Otherwise, air will rush into that hole & into my chest upon inhalation. Eventually collapsing my lung if not stopped.

Other than using my bare hand. IF...I had a few medical supplies at hand. Such as an "occlusive dressing" & some medical tape. To apply that occlusive dressing over my wound. Then use the tape to seal up 3 sides of that dressing. Leaving the fourth side un-taped. So any trapped air in my chest could escape upon exhalation. The taped dressing acts like a "clapper valve" or a "1-way valve". Letting trapped air escape & not letting outside air in when I inhale.

An occlusive dressing is non-permeable. It does NOT let air pass through it.

 

[Redman]

Open chest wound; How I would treat myself.

In Emergency Services, the phrase "Golden Hour". Refers to the likely hood of survival in a serious trauma incident. Getting that victim to advanced emergency care/treatment within that 1st hour. There are many factors that play into that 1st hour as for survival of that trauma victim.

To treat an open chest wound. 1st thing I would do immediately is. Place my bare hand(meaty area at the base of my thumb on my palm). Over that exposed skin wound to plug it up. Sealing that wound with my hand. In order to stop air rushing into my chest cavity, when I inhale. Otherwise, air will rush into that hole & into my chest upon inhalation. Eventually collapsing my lung if not stopped.

Other than using my bare hand. IF...I had a few medical supplies at hand. Such as an "occlusive dressing" & some medical tape. To apply that occlusive dressing over my wound. Then use the tape to seal up 3 sides of that dressing. Leaving the fourth side un-taped. So any trapped air in my chest could escape upon exhalation. The taped dressing acts like a "clapper valve" or a "1-way valve". Letting trapped air escape & not letting outside air in when I inhale.

An occlusive dressing is non-permeable. It does NOT let air pass through it.

Would that chest wound be caused by a .308 whih beautiful engraving on it TT?

 

[np307]

Chest seals are cheap insurance and pack easy

 

[OntarioHunter]

A zip lock bag or sandwich saran wrap will seal up a sucking chest wound. Don't worry about sterilizing. Bigger problems to deal with. I think any guy who can perform first aid on himself for a sucking chest wound probably changes his clothes in a phone booth.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

if you get hit in the lung,your pretty much a gonner,,sorry but thats most likely 99 pct fact.

 

[Bigjay73]

You prevented a pneumothorax, not sure how much time that buys you with a wound channel running through your chest. Better than doing nothing I suppose, but yeah, what sort of immortal could have the awareness and consciousness to perform self aid after the shock and trauma of a bullet wound to the torso? I've seen people incapacitated mentally by a non lethal gunshot wound to the leg.

 

[Mudranger1]

It's easy

 

[np307]

You prevented a pneumothorax, not sure how much time that buys you with a wound channel running through your chest. Better than doing nothing I suppose, but yeah, what sort of immortal could have the awareness and consciousness to perform self aid after the shock and trauma of a bullet wound to the torso? I've seen people incapacitated mentally by a non lethal gunshot wound to the leg.

I fell on a log one time and a broken off branch impaled my leg. Could have easily been my chest. Not all chest wounds have to be gunshot wounds.

 

[warmer]

24 years as an EMT, fortunately, only four open chest wounds. All MVA. Those patients were in no condition to self help.

 

[1oldcoyote]

You prevented a pneumothorax, not sure how much time that buys you with a wound channel running through your chest. Better than doing nothing I suppose, but yeah, what sort of immortal could have the awareness and consciousness to perform self aid after the shock and trauma of a bullet wound to the torso? I've seen people incapacitated mentally by a non lethal gunshot wound to the leg.

Pneumothorax/tension pneumothroax. Bigjay73, I'm a tough ole boy. I've experienced my own trauma & sucked it up. During my medic years I've seen quite a few people with severe trauma(including many women). Speaking of women from what I have witnessed. They are the tougher of the sexes by far. I do not put much past some humans taking a severe pounding & still function. My post only reflects on treatment of such a wound. On how I would handle it. Anyone can take my post & shamble it. Doesn't matter to me. One mans view is what it is. I suppose you me, us. Could make my post into something far worse & reduce anyone's odds of survival. Have at it.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Open chest wound; How I would treat myself.

In Emergency Services, the phrase "Golden Hour". Refers to the likely hood of survival in a serious trauma incident. Getting that victim to advanced emergency care/treatment within that 1st hour. There are many factors that play into that 1st hour as for survival of that trauma victim.

To treat an open chest wound. 1st thing I would do immediately is. Place my bare hand(meaty area at the base of my thumb on my palm). Over that exposed skin wound to plug it up. Sealing that wound with my hand. In order to stop air rushing into my chest cavity, when I inhale. Otherwise, air will rush into that hole & into my chest upon inhalation. Eventually collapsing my lung if not stopped.

Other than using my bare hand. IF...I had a few medical supplies at hand. Such as an "occlusive dressing" & some medical tape. To apply that occlusive dressing over my wound. Then use the tape to seal up 3 sides of that dressing. Leaving the fourth side un-taped. So any trapped air in my chest could escape upon exhalation. The taped dressing acts like a "clapper valve" or a "1-way valve". Letting trapped air escape & not letting outside air in when I inhale.

An occlusive dressing is non-permeable. It does NOT let air pass through it.

Slit your throat?

 

[OntarioHunter]

Pneumothorax/tension pneumothroax. Bigjay73, I'm a tough ole boy. I've experienced my own trauma & sucked it up. During my medic years I've seen quite a few people with severe trauma(including many women). Speaking of women from what I have witnessed. They are the tougher of the sexes by far. I do not put much past some humans taking a severe pounding & still function. My post only reflects on treatment of such a wound. On how I would handle it. Anyone can take my post & shamble it. Doesn't matter to me. One mans view is what it is. I suppose you me, us. Could make my post into something far worse & reduce anyone's odds of survival. Have at it.

Easy now. No one is taking a poke at you (no one that matters anyway). I'm also a former EMT but fortunately never encountered a sucking chest wound. However, I have had the wind knocked out of me enough times to know how incapacitating that can be. Also nearly drowned once. The thing about a sucking chest wound is that unlike drowning, the shock from the trauma is so sudden that the individual really has no time to mentally prepare for what's happening. Besides the pain, he's instantly unable to get his breath. In sudden shock of that magnitude the body flies into panic mode. Yes, sometimes sudden massive trauma can produce superhuman reactions. I grew up with a buddy (my brother's best man) who lost his lower leg to a mine in Vietnam. He still ran back to his tank (which he should never have left). But that's a blind instinctive reaction ... that he actually doesn't remember happening. Treating oneself for a sucking chest wound would require mental fortitude and clearness that would be necessarily and naturally erased by the instinctive panic response to sudden extraordinary pain, blood loss, and most of all inability to breathe.

You have asked a hypothetical question which really is outside the realm of possibility. I think the responses to treating a sucking chest wound have some merit because without EMT training or above, the average hunter probably wouldn't know what to do and it's an injury that hunters certainly might encounter (e.g. more than football players). However, though readers may be able to help keep someone else alive, it's really beyond unlikely they would be able to do the same for themselves.

 

[hank4elk]

I've seen the best and the worst outcomes. In combat and on the street. 15 years as an EMT-II. 2 combat tours.
Seen EMT's go into shock when I was putting a stop to a femoral cut and the patient helped me place the tourney.
Seen guys stuff that hole and wrap it and get back into the fight.

Open or sucking chest wound? Good luck. Plug it and get some help asap.

 

[1oldcoyote]

Easy now. No one is taking a poke at you (no one that matters anyway). I'm also a former EMT but fortunately never encountered a sucking chest wound. However, I have had the wind knocked out of me enough times to know how incapacitating that can be. Also nearly drowned once. The thing about a sucking chest wound is that unlike drowning, the shock from the trauma is so sudden that the individual really has no time to mentally prepare for what's happening. Besides the pain, he's instantly unable to get his breath. In sudden shock of that magnitude the body flies into panic mode. Yes, sometimes sudden massive trauma can produce superhuman reactions. I grew up with a buddy (my brother's best man) who lost his lower leg to a mine in Vietnam. He still ran back to his tank (which he should never have left). But that's a blind instinctive reaction ... that he actually doesn't remember happening. Treating oneself for a sucking chest wound would require mental fortitude and clearness that would be necessarily and naturally erased by the instinctive panic response to sudden extraordinary pain, blood loss, and most of all inability to breathe.

You have asked a hypothetical question which really is outside the realm of possibility. I think the responses to treating a sucking chest wound have some merit because without EMT training or above, the average hunter probably wouldn't know what to do and it's an injury that hunters certainly might encounter (e.g. more than football players). However, though readers may be able to help keep someone else alive, it's really beyond unlikely they would be able to do the same for themselves.

Well in my attempt to stop this thread from going awry(See; personal insults). Is the reasoning behind my replies. I've seen enough badness happen to people during my 28yrs of fire/ems. Have I seen it all, H#ll no. But I'm not some internet wannabe arm chair quarterback doctor either. My field experience & training guides me in my opinions. I also know some men/women are tough as nails. Taking a severe pounding & still function...ie; Treat their own injuries, whether slight & or severe. I also tend to give some people more credit than others. Those people are hardcore in my book. The ability to overcome, what a novel mindset.

I will also add(excluding pain, suffering & internal chest cavity bleeding) Some people function well on only 1 lung. We picked up an old guy one day on a medical call. He was a long time heavy smoker. He was having SOB. Due to his chronic smoking & the fact he had 2/3 of 1 lung left.

 

[KB_]

Coming from experience (have not had to do this on myself). Your steps are far to complicated to be dealt with in a panic inducing situation, especially on yourself.

plastic of some sort and hold that shit on there with some force and get help immediately. If you have tape great but you will likely be heading for shock if you screw around to much. Humans can live on one lung pretty well if you plug the hole.

How I know this, One of my marines tripped and landed on a open tool box and took a flathead screwdriver thru the chest. right into a lung.

Luckily we had some plastic bags but I left the screwdriver in and just wrapped the plastic around it, then wrapped my T shirt around it for something to put pressure on other then the dang screw driver, threw his butt on the cart and dragged him back to the hanger as fast as I could.


dont even get me started on the time one of my marines gave himself a C section drilling into sheet metal on a drill press without clamping it down. Dummie.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Well in my attempt to stop this thread from going awry(See; personal insults). Is the reasoning behind my replies. I've seen enough badness happen to people during my 28yrs of fire/ems. Have I seen it all, H#ll no. But I'm not some internet wannabe arm chair quarterback doctor either. My field experience & training guides me in my opinions. I also know some men/women are tough as nails. Taking a severe pounding & still function...ie; Treat their own injuries, whether slight & or severe. I also tend to give some people more credit than others. Those people are hardcore in my book. The ability to overcome, what a novel mindset.

I will also add(excluding pain, suffering & internal chest cavity bleeding) Some people function well on only 1 lung. We picked up an old guy one day on a medical call. He was a long time heavy smoker. He was having SOB. Due to his chronic smoking & the fact he had 2/3 of 1 lung left.

My grandfather lived on one lung. But the other one was removed under anesthesia while he was on some sort of ventilator to assist breathing. No panic instinct when unconscious. People with emphysema are familiar with being deprived of breath. And their "attacks" are seldom instantaneous nor do they involve shock from massive blood loss. Unlike a sucking chest wound from gunshot, they have some familiarity with the threat and time to prepare for dealing with it. Most don't try to treat themselves if their condition degenerates to critical. I'm not saying no one can treat themselves for a sucking chest wound due to gunshot, but it would require an extremely special person who could control the panic instinct. Maybe Tom Cruise could do it in Mission Impossible.

 

[1oldcoyote]

My grandfather lived on one lung. But the other one was removed under anesthesia while he was on some sort of ventilator to assist breathing. No panic instinct when unconscious. People with emphysema are familiar with being deprived of breath. And their "attacks" are seldom instantaneous nor do they involve shock from massive blood loss. Unlike a sucking chest wound from gunshot, they have some familiarity with the threat and time to prepare for dealing with it. Most don't try to treat themselves if their condition degenerates to critical. I'm not saying no one can treat themselves for a sucking chest wound due to gunshot, but it would require an extremely special person who could control the panic instinct. Maybe Tom Cruise could do it in Mission Impossible.

Winter of 89 while working off of a ladder. Assisting fighting a 2.5 story house fire. I was on a ladder over the front steps of the house. I fell 12' to the concrete below. Slamming flat on my back onto the cement sidewalk. A mili-second before impact. My lumbar area which ended up being at an angle to one of the ladder beams. My lumbar bent & cracked the beam of that ladder upon impact. A heavy duty firefighting ladder. NOT some store bought civilian version. Here I'm laying tilted sideways on that ladder. Felt like the hand of God whacked me. Amb medics loaded me up & took me to the ER for an exam. Pain, you bet I had pain. After my exam they helped me to my feet & I walked out into an awaiting FD pick up. One of many incidents in my life when Life hammered on me. Though I've never experienced an open chest wound. It is in me to give myself aid & forge ahead in Life. I sure as H#ll am not going to curl up in a ball & give up like some whiny ass man bun dude. Trauma or no trauma.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Winter of 89 while working off of a ladder. Assisting fighting a 2.5 story house fire. I was on a ladder over the front steps of the house. I fell 12' to the concrete below. Slamming flat on my back onto the cement sidewalk. A mili-second before impact. My lumbar area which ended up being at an angle to one of the ladder beams. My lumbar bent & cracked the beam of that ladder upon impact. A heavy duty firefighting ladder. NOT some store bought civilian version. Here I'm laying tilted sideways on that ladder. Felt like the hand of God whacked me. Amb medics loaded me up & took me to the ER for an exam. Pain, you bet I had pain. After my exam they helped me to my feet & I walked out into an awaiting FD pick up. One of many incidents in my life when Life hammered on me. Though I've never experienced an open chest wound. It is in me to give myself aid & forge ahead in Life. I sure as H#ll am not going to curl up in a ball & give up like some whiny ass man bun dude. Trauma or no trauma.

Get some, you tough sumbitch! That’s the kind of story that motivates.

 

[longbow51]

Teleflex Medical Incorporated Asherman Chest Seal

The ACS features a one-way valve for treating open pneumothorax and preventing tension pneumothorax in traumatic chest injuries. NSN 6510-01-619-3527

www.chinookmed.com

If you're really worried, these are light and $15 or so.

 

[lifesupport4u]

Zip lock bag and some duct tape will do the same thing but if you have a sucking chest wound in the backcountry it’s probably just your time because it’s gonna be a lot longer than an hour and you need a surgeon.