Combat Life Saving Flashcards
What are the signs and symptoms of shock
- Sweaty but cool skin
- Pale Skin
- Thirst
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Loss of blood
- Confusion or loss of awareness
- Faster than normal breathing
- Blotchy/Bluish skin
- Nausea and vomiting
What is shock
Caused by severe or minor trauma causing pain to body
What is “Hemorrhagic Shock”
When the body loses 20% blood, bleed out in 60-120sec
What are the treatment/prevention for shock
- DO NOT MOVE
- Elevate casualty feet higher than heart
- Loosen clothing at neck and waist
- Prevent chilling or overheating
- Calm casualty
- DO NOT give casualty food or drink
What are the 2 types of soft tissue injuries
Close Wound
Open Wound
What is a close wound
Blunt objects striking body with force to crush tissue beneath skin
What is a contusion
Swelling/Pain, caused by blood leaking into wound
What is a open wound
The surface of the skin been broken
What is a abrasion
Loss of portion of epidermis from being rubbed or scrapped across hard surface
What is a laceration
Cut produced by glass, metal, etc that leave jagged wound on the skin
What is a incision
Same as laceration, but the cut is “CLEAN”, no jagged edge
What is a puncture wound
Result from stab with knife, nail, icepick, pointed object
What are the treatment for open wounds
- Control bleeding by direct pressure
- Pressure point
- Tourniquet
- Apply sterile dressing
3 types of special wounds
Avulsion, Crushing Wounds, Amputations
What is a avulsion
Whole piece of skin (tissue/muscle) torn loose or left hanging as a flap
What is a crushing wound
Contusion, but underlying skeletal support is also damage
What is a amputation
Caused by explosion, sharp object, or by separations
What are the symptom of an open or “sucking” chest wound
-Pain at the site of the injury.
-Pain that is aggravated by or occurs with breathing, localized around
the site of an injury in the chest.
-Dyspnea (difficulty or pain with breathing).
-Failure of one or both sides of the chest to expand normally when inhaling.
-Rapid, weak pulse and low blood pressure.
-Cyanosis (discoloration) of the lips, fingertips, or fingernails.
How to treat a sucking crest wound
-Use a field dressing plastic wrapper.
-Tear open one end of the plastic wrapper covering the field dressing.
Be careful not to destroy the wrapper.
-Remove the inner packet (field dressing).
-Tear open the empty plastic wrapper and create a flat surface, using
as much of the wrapper as possible.
-Place wrapper over wound. Place the inside surface of the plastic wrapper directly over the open chest wound as the casualty exhales
and hold in place.
-Apply dressing to the wound.
-Using the free hand, shake open the field dressing and place the white side of the dressing directly over the plastic wrapper covering the open wound, holding it securely in place to create an airtight dressing.
-Place casualty on injured side. Position the casualty on his injured side or in a sitting position, whichever makes breathing easier.
-Make the victim warm and evacuate as soon as possible.
What is tension pneumothorax
- Air pressure within the chest cavity builds up to such a degree that the collapsed lung is pressed firmly against the uninjured lung and heart, interfering both with the ventilation of the good lung and with heart action.
- Tension pneumothorax is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield
What are 3 Types of Bleeding
Arterial, Venous, Capillary
What is arterial bleeding
- Flow of bright red blood (due to the oxygen content) that pumps out in distinct spurts
- can bleed to death 2-3min
What is Venous Bleeding
Steady flow of dark red or maroon-colored blood
What is Capillary Bleeding
Slow oozing of blood, usually from minor wounds