First-Aid for cuts/slashes?

B

barber oregon

Joined
Nov 19, 2000
Messages
234
Reading BlackRazors post about cutttng himself sent shivers up my spine. I've never cut myself as bad as that. However, being a knife nut its possible that I eventually will (knock on wood).

If this ever happens it would be nice to know what to do: can anyone give tips on what sort of first-aid can be administered in such an accident until proper medical attention is obtained (that is, in addition to the 'apply-pressure-and-elevate' technique)?

Given the nature of this forum, I think it would be a great service if this sort of first-aid advice could be put into a FAQ. Moderators?

P.S. I seem to have alot of run-on sentences and sentence fragments here. Sorry.:(
 
Just keep up direct pressure and get to the ER or wherever you choose to go. Pretty much any ointment or whatever you will apply will only have to be cleaned out when you get to the hospital anyway.

Unless you're comfortable enough to do your own stitches you don't have to worry about anything more than paying the bill. ;)

Lotsa different things to do in various emergency situations, say, if you're up in the wilderness alone but the basics are the same. Get yourself stable and get to help as quick as you can.

I've seen a few people stop bleeding other ways such as dashing de-horning powder over a bad cut but that is a bit extreme. :eek:

Stick with futons and this shouldn't be a problem! :)

Shawn
 
Every once in a while I find myself with a deep slash from one of my new toys. Sometimes the cut is a little deeper than what I can take care of with a band-aid, so out comes the little bottle of Super Glue :) . I have no interest in hospitals unless I am dying and am currently without medical insurance so stitches are most likely out of the question.

I have found Super Glue to "stitch" a wound as easily as sutures and often not leaving a hint of a scar. It comes in especially handly for those little cuts that will not stop bleeding!!
 
I'll bet that nobody gets cut more often than we balisong artists.

One tip that actually works well for minor cuts is that the active ingredient in many nasal decongestant sprays including Afrin will constrict blood vesels on contact. I've found that liberally dosing a minor cut with Afrin often stops bleeding very quickly. (If you also use the stuff for the intended purpose, I'd suggest separate bottles to avoid infection.)

Speaking of infection, cuts do heal faster with Neosporin. I always keep a tube handy. Neosporin is a triple antibiotic ointment. The Neo in Neosporin is for Neomyacin (sp?) Some people are alergic to that antibiotic and should use a double antibiotic ointment instead.

3M makes the best strip bandages. They're called "Active Strips." Ask for them by name at your drug store. They're a bit more expensive, but they stay on and last longer.
 
Direct pressure to the wound ASAP. Do this with some sort of bandage.

I worked with a girl once whose father was shot in the neck at their family owned store. She used a maxi-pad to curb the bleeding until the paramedics got there.
 
Acetone is the best cut washer in the world.....
cleans and seals at the same time....stings a little..
You learn this early on making surfboards!! :p:):p
 
Pressure to stop the bleeding

don't put acetone on the wound: ouch!

word to the wise: 5-8% of the US population is allergic to neomycin so I generally advise against using neosporin (most common in N. European heritage), bacitracin is preferred.
 
I would love to see one of the Physcians here post a good "generic" approach to the cost of MEN who love their tools. Come on Doctors, help us:(
I am a KLUTZ. The standard line throughout New England is to NEVER allow me to even touch a hammer. If I held a power tool, I would be stopped at gunpoint by the SWAT team
I just did myself well with a Dalton scorpion. I have some expertise having undergone 41 surgeries and living in and out of hospitals and Doctor's offices for the last 15 years. I have NO intention of visiting an ER unless I slit my throat. I always ask for permission and "borrow" a suture kit from a few Doctors I have developed a strong bond with. One took the time to show me how to do it. I also have lidocaine, Marcaine, and the appropriate tools. I also have used two pound STREN on a fishing trip once. BUT sometimes, nerves, tendons and bone become involved, setting the stage for some possible serious, if NOT life threatening events. If you hit bone with a "dirty" knife, you just might breed Osteomyelitis, a NASTY bone infection, left untreated, might lead to Gangrene or if you are luckier, DEATH.:( :( :(
So, DOCTORS!!!!!! please take a second and post the IMPORTANT steps we who cut ourselves well should be taking. Thank you...........Ira
 
The idea of having a FAQ about knife wounds and first aid sounds great! A couple of years ago, I was unfortunate enough to to snick a nerve. I wrote about it here at BFC and got a lot of good info about such injuries. There are a few MDs here, so maybe we can convince one to write a FAQ.

Every now and then, you'll see a horror story about some poor guy who cuts a tendon, but doesn't discover it until a couple of months later. By then though, it's too late to reattach it.

I've seen at least one post from a guy who accidently cut an artery. I think it was the radial artery; the one that's right under the thumb? That's some really scary stuff. I'd put that question first on the FAQ: "What should you do if you cut yourself and you see gobs of bright red blood spurting out of your body?" :o
 
Apply pressure to the wound area and get to the nearest emergency room of it is a serious situation. In most areas of the country, they are required to treat you, even if you have no insurance. They will bill you later for the charges. Pay it a little bit at a time. They'll work with you.
 
Originally posted by barber oregon
fossilhunter: Superglue? Really!?!
Click to expand...

Yup, really :) . Sounds wild I know, I thought so at first
as well. Sliced myself up a couple times (on accident) and
thought to try it out to seal the wound. Really does work.
As the cut heals your body pushes the hardened glue out and
seals itself up. First heard of this trick from an EMT. Is
there anybody else out there can back me up on this?

Of course, this is for the more superficial wounds. A cut
to the bone through ligament and tendons would most certainly
require a trip to the ER, IMO.
 
BTW, it doesn't sting (that was something I was afraid of
while pondering if I should try it out.)

WARNING: BONDS SKIN IN SECONDS. ;)
 
I had heard the info regarding the use of super glue to close up that nice deep and clean laceration that we all get by "accident" (no such thing as an accident with a knife, right?)
BUT, it was also related that the superglue has a very serious impact on the wound's ability to heal properly, that is healing from deep in to out. WOAH!!!!, I have not a CLUE about super-GLUE:eek: and if there is one bit of truth to that comment. What was said: [*apply direct pressure to insure bleeding has stopped. Line up the edges as perfectly as possible, hold the laceration closed and have a third hand apply the glue. It bonds in seconds and IF it holds and you REALLY did NOT do a Masterpiece of a finger-dinger, chances are it heals. The Caveat added by the person who is NOT a Doc, is that the superglue has an effect on the superficial blood supply and forces the outter layer to skin to heal pretty quick, BUT under what you think is a healing wound is STILL a very ripe and deep cut thru the remaining layers of skin, muscle, tendon,fascia and Lord-NO nerve and ligaments......*]ANY truth to this?....Thanks.....wolf
 
This is going to be a bit long, but maybe it may help someone. I'm not telling this to judge others [or to be judged]I just think it may help.
A friend of mine and myself were on the first day out of a 7 day canoe trip on Sept. 9 of this year. We were in the south central U.S. It had been storming the night before and we came across a log that had fallen fully across the smallish river. We cleared the small limbs off the tree with a C.S.LTC Kukri [his] and a 20" Martindale machete [mine.] We then thought maybe we would clear the 6" log if it weren't too difficult. It was a definate hazard and could drown an inexperienced canoist if they were swept under it. He took about 6 wacks just getting the notch width set when the Kukri bounced out of the notch and into his left wrist. We were 7 miles from the nearest take out and we found out later he had severed his radial artery and 2 flexor tendons.It was about a 3" cut to the bone.The artery and tendons had all retracted from the wound.
He was a recon Green Beret in Viet Nam and I have about 40 years of Boy Scout and wilderness camping experience and we both knew he was in big trouble.
First aid: He initially grabbed his wrist [mostly a reflex.]We got him down on the ground with his head above his feet. His elbow on my thigh and his forearm straight up. We used cravats [which we always have around our necks] and applied tourniquets; 1 at the elbow and 2 just below the wrist. It took these 3 and me holding with both hands as tight as I could grip to keep it from bleeding. There were only 2 other canoes on the river that day and thankfully we were ahead of both groups when this happened. They went downriver to send help back. It took 1 hour and 15 minutes for the first responder to arrive and the medivac helicopter arrived at about 1 hour 45 minutes.The first responder had communications but no meds or equip.that could help. He was flown 130 miles to the nearest equipped hospital where a reconstructive surgeon put him back together. Believe it or not he was released that same evening.
Lessons: We carry a 21" break down bow saw, should have used it.
S**t happens
Know the first aid first. When it goes bad wrong it ain't the time to be learning.
We were/he was very lucky. I was lucky cause I'd have had to come home and explain that day for the rest of my life.
We had a long talk with the surgoen and she said tourniquets are very iffy. They have to be in exactly the right place and can do a lot of damage. Briefly, imagine a scab forming in your veins and arteries, get a doc to explain this further. I don't know if I would use them again. She couldn't say do or don't. I guess she and we decided what we did must have worked.
The chopper paramedics changed places with me and held his wrist onto the backboard, 300yds to a 4x4, 1/4 mile to the chopper, for the chopper ride, into the E.R., and into the O.R. My point is nobody had a better plan than direct pressure for this wound.
Total bill: $21,000 [worth every penny.] Flight for life was $6400 of that bill.
He will fully recover.
I didn't and I don't "play" with knives. I do carry daily.
Thank cops, firemen, parameds, Forest Service, Park Service and anyone else devoting their lives to help "civilians" when in need.
I truely hope this helps someone think. Happy holidays!!
 
When I cut mine forefinger (qute badly) with my LM SideClip one evening, my wife (dental nurse)
- bandaged it
- asked (ok, ok ;) TOLD) me to keep it higher than my heart
- put an ice bag on it

She also told me to see the doctor right away ("This was only the first aid.") but because it didn't bleed anymore I didn't.

Next morning the cut ripped open again - and this time I went to see the doctor.

Doctor said there was a little vein broken and that's the reason why it was still bleeding so happily.

It took four stitches.

Tuhkis
 
One time I saw Rambo get hurt, and he just popped the bullet off a shell, dumped the gun powder into the wound, and lit it. He looked ok, so I recommend that.


:)
 
Originally posted by jasonkw62
One time I saw Rambo get hurt, and he just popped the bullet off a shell, dumped the gun powder into the wound, and lit it. He looked ok, so I recommend that.


:)
Click to expand...

ROTFLOL!!:D :D :) That was just too damn funny!!!!
 
IIRC, super glue was an Army invention that was originally designed for the purpose of sticking wounds shut. It was only later used for other applications. Someone correct me on this if I'm wrong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top