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
How to do control External Bleeding
- Controlled by both elevating the wound and by the application of direct pressure.
- Apply pressure to the wound using a sterile dressing.
- Do not attempt to replace a dressing once it is held in place even though it may become blood-soaked.
- Replacing a dressing releases pressure on the cut blood vessels, interferes with normal coagulation, and increases the probability of contamination.
- Rather than replacing the dressing, place another one on top of the soaked dressing and hold them all in place.
What are the 4 most effective pressure points
- Temporal
- Carotid
- Brachial
- Femoral
What are the 3 bandages are currently being issued with the IFAK
- QuickClot
- HemCon
- Combat Gauze
What are common Tourniquet Mistakes
- Not using one when you should
- Using one when not appropriate
- Putting it too close to wound
- Not applied tightly enough
What are the symptoms of internal bleeding
- Rapid and weak pulse
- Pale, moist and cold skin
- Shallow and rapid respiration
- Thirst
- Dilated pupils
- Coughing up or vomiting dark red blood the color of coffee grounds.
- Stiff abdominal muscles.
What is the treatment for Internal Bleeding
- Treat for shock
- Give nothing by mouth
- Evacuate as soon as possible
What is Abdominal Cavity
- A smooth, glistening, thin tissue called the peritoneum lines
- Organs inside are classified as either solid organs or hollow organs.
What is Abdominal Wound Symptoms
-Nausea and vomiting are good indications of abdominal injury, especially if the vomitus contains blood
-Pain, although usually minimal in the abdomen
-Tenderness exists in affected areas
-Muscle spasms or a stiffening of the abdominal muscles suggests the
irritation of the lining of the abdominal cavity
-Shock
-Bruises and Abrasions
What is the treatment for Abdominal Wounds
-Position the casualty on his or her back with the knees flexed up to relieve pressure on the muscles of the abdomen
-Expose the wound. Remove loose clothing from the wound, leaving clothing that is stuck in place
-With a clean, moist dressing, gently pick up any organs that may be on the ground. Place the organs on top of the casualty’s abdomen DO NOT attempt to replace any protruding organs
-Apply moist field dressing
Grasp tails of dressing with two hands.
-Hold dressing directly over wound with white side down. Pull dressing open
and place directly over wound.
-With one hand, hold dressing in place and use the other hand to wrap one of the tails around the body.
-Wrap the other tail in the opposite direction until the dressing is completely covered.
-Tie the tails with the knot at the patient’s side.
-Treat for shock and evacuate as soon as possible.
What is the classification of burns
Burns are classified in degrees, i.e. First, Second and Third
What are First-degree burns
Superficial layer of the epidermis and result only in reddening of the skin.
What are Second-degree burns
Damage into but not through the dermas and characteristically result in blisters forming on the skin
What are Third-degree burn
Destroy the skin down to the subcutaneous fat.
Skin may appear pale, dry, and white or it may be brown or charred.
LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES
What are the 3 types of burns
Thermal, Electrical, Chemical
What is a Thermal burn
Contact with fire, hot objects, hot liquids, gases, or nuclear blast or fireball
What is a Electrical burn
Contact with electrical wires, current, or lightning
What are Chemical burn
Contact with wet or dry chemicals or white phosphorus
What are Fractures
Sudden breaking of a bone or a break in a bone
What are the 2 Types of Fractures
Covered, closed fractures (skin is not broken) Open fractures (in which the skin is broken.)
What are the symptoms of Fractures
Loss of movement, pain with acute tenderness over the site of the fracture, swelling and bruising, deformity or possible shortening, unnatural mobility, or crepitus or grating that is heard when the ends of the bone rub together
What is a Spinal Injury
Traumatic injury or damage to the spinal cord constitutes a spinal injury
