March/April 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 2
The Tale of the Porcupine Quills
By Frank Hubbell, DO
You decided to agree to co-lead an overnight hike into the mountains with the youth pastor and youth group from your church. It is a beautiful summer weekend. The weather forecast looks perfect; they are a great group of kids; these trips are known for good food and fun; so, you have no reason to doubt that this will be an enjoyable event.
It takes about four hours to hike into the shelters. The walk in was uneventful, and, once there, the kids quickly go to work setting up camp and helping to prepare the evening meal.
All is well, until there is a sudden burst of activity as one of the kids realizes there is an animal under one of the shelter platforms. In all their excitement to get a better look, everyone gathers around when suddenly the beast from beneath decides it had better make a run for it. Out from under the platform emerges one very large and startled porcupine that is determined to get away. In the process one of the kids manages to get swiped by the porcupine, and your extremely well-behaved dog decides to defend the camp and bats the porcupine with his paw. Fido is now in pain and mad at the porcupine. He decides to bite it. Wrong decision, Fido.
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Porcupine Quills
/in Bites and Stings, Punctures/by WMN EditorsMarch/April 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 2
The Tale of the Porcupine Quills
By Frank Hubbell, DO
You decided to agree to co-lead an overnight hike into the mountains with the youth pastor and youth group from your church. It is a beautiful summer weekend. The weather forecast looks perfect; they are a great group of kids; these trips are known for good food and fun; so, you have no reason to doubt that this will be an enjoyable event.
It takes about four hours to hike into the shelters. The walk in was uneventful, and, once there, the kids quickly go to work setting up camp and helping to prepare the evening meal.
All is well, until there is a sudden burst of activity as one of the kids realizes there is an animal under one of the shelter platforms. In all their excitement to get a better look, everyone gathers around when suddenly the beast from beneath decides it had better make a run for it. Out from under the platform emerges one very large and startled porcupine that is determined to get away. In the process one of the kids manages to get swiped by the porcupine, and your extremely well-behaved dog decides to defend the camp and bats the porcupine with his paw. Fido is now in pain and mad at the porcupine. He decides to bite it. Wrong decision, Fido.
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COLD-RELATED INJURY COLD CASES 2011
/in Cold Injuries, Hypothermia, Medical Response, Mountain rescue, Survival/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
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WHAT IS YOUR PREPARATION FOR THE UNEXPECTED NIGHT OUT?
/in Environemtal Injuries, Survival/by WMN EditorsJanuary/February 2011 ISN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
What is your Preparation for the Unexpected Night Out?
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia, TSAR Medical Officer
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
So, what is survival?
The following is a good working definition: “The ability and the desire to stay alive, all alone, under adverse conditions, until rescued.” These essential items cannot be found in your SAR pack or at GSAR course training. The process to survive depends on:
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USING HEMOSTATIC AGENTS TO CONTROL SEVERE BLEEDING
/in Bandaging, Crush Injuries, First Aid Kits, Medical Response, Soft Tissue/by WMN EditorsJanuary/February 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
Using Hemostatic Agents to Control Severe Bleeding
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
Historically and still currently today, severe hemorrhage remains the leading cause of death in combat. In civilian trauma, it is the second cause of preventable death after head trauma. Before I get into the discussion about the use of a hemostatic agent for controlling major arterial bleeds, let’s be aware that we should judiciously use direct pressure as the first line of defense to control bleeding from external bleeding sites. With effective direct pressure along with proper wound packing, these two approaches can stop severe bleeding in most cases. This is true even for major vessels such as the carotid or femoral arteries. Casualties with such injuries often bleed to death despite attempts at direct pressure.
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