What's some emergency first aid tips for gunshot wounds?

Question

I know calling 911 would be 1st, but what can a person do before paramedics arrive or if in a remote location. I searched on internet first, and didn't find anything helpful. Please list first aid for exit and non-exit wounds.

Answer 1

First, control any life threatening hemorrhaging, ie arterial bleeding, with a compression dressing, pressure point compression, and/or elevation of ther wound if possible. Arterial bleeding is bright red blood that may or may not be "spurting" from the wound. If pressure points, compression and elevation don't work, put on a tourniquet. Leave the tourniquet exposed and note the time you applied it. DO NOT LOOSEN IT under any circumstances once you've applied it. Once a tourniquet is in place, the casualty will have 6-8 hours to get to definitive medical care before he/she risks permanent damage to nerves and tissues. Life threatening hemmorhage must be controlled before you do anything else. CPR won't matter if the person bleeds to death first. Next, you worry about securing the airway. Now, for other wounds. Entry and exit wounds may or may not travel in a straight line. So, just because you see an entry wound in the abdomen doesn't mean the bullet didn't come out near the shoulder. You must check from top to bottom, both arms, and both legs for any and all wounds. Once all wounds are located, begin treatment. Stop the bleeding. Apply dressings to all wounds. If you're in a remote location as you stated, you might as well apply a pressure dressing to begin with. This is NOT a tourniquet. Its a dressing with the knot applied directly over the wound or knot applied over another piece of material directly over the wound. These dressings are generally used on the extremities. Abdominal wounds can be slightly different depending on the nature of the wound. If any organs are outside of the body, place them on the abdomen before applying a dressing. Make sure the dressing is moist. DO NOT attempt to push the organs back into the abdominal cavity. Just cover them with the moist dressing. If the wound has no organs where they don't belong, ie outside, then just apply a large dressing over the wound. Chest wounds are their own animal. First, look for exit wounds. Apply an occlusive dressing, something that won't allow air to pass through, over the exit wound first. Secure all 4 sides of the dressing. Next, the entrance wound will be dressed the same, but make sure you don't secure the 4th side until the casualty has completely exhaled. It used to be, and I'm sure you can still find those who still do, that you would only secure 3 sides of the wound, leaving the 4th side unsecure to act as a flutter valve. I don't do this and it is not in my block of instruction either. There are a number of complications associated with chest wounds such as, pneumothorax, tension pneumothorax, hemothorax, hemo-pneumothorax, and a host of others. All you can do with any gunshot wound is control the bleeding, prevent further injury, and seek definitive medical care. All the while you need to maintain the airway, treat and prevent shock, reassure the casualty, and seek aid. I hope this answers your question.

Answer 2

Gunshot Wound First Aid

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What's some emergency first aid tips for gunshot wounds?
I know calling 911 would be 1st, but what can a person do before paramedics arrive or if in a remote location. I searched on internet first, and didn't find anything helpful. Please list first aid for exit and non-exit wounds.

Answer 4

Gun shot wounds
Have a small entry into the part of the body, usually with burns around it. There
can be an exit wound and it would be larger than the entry wound. Usually the entry
and exit wounds are across from each other.
First aid for gun shot wounds
• Begin ESM and primary survey
• Monitor ABC's. (airway - breathing - circulation)
• Apply direct pressure to wound, bandage and get to medical aid as soon as possible.
• Cover with blanket, to reduce risk of shock.
• If large enough caliber to the front upper torso / chest area, the wound may be
a sucking chest wound. If so, apply a square piece of plastic with about ½ to 1
inch border around the wound, tape three sides leaving bottom open. If there is
also an associated exit wound you may also have to do the same procedure but
in this case tape all four sides of the plastic on the exit side, if on back.

Answer 5

Your first priortity would be to control the bleeding. If it is a leg or arm wound and bleeding profusely you would try to find something to make a tourniquet to stop the blood flow. If it is an abdominal or other wound then put pressure on the wound to help control blood lose. If the person is concious keep talking to them if it is a severe wound to try to keep them alert. If youare in a remote area once you get the bleeding contolled you would have to carry them to your vehicle and take them to a nearby clinic or house to call 911 if you don't have a cell phone or you are out of range.

Answer 6

This is as you know a serious situation. You will want to control bleeding by applying pressure with a abdominal gauze pad. If the wound is around the lungs you will want to apply a flutter valve. You can do this by putting a gauze pad wet with sterile saline over the wound and then tape saran wrap tightly on three sides. This way air can escape but not enter the chest causing a pneumothorax. Just control bleeding and get to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible.

Answer 7

Well, first for non-exit wounds. Apply pressure to the wound to help stop the bleeding/keep it from bleed too much. It is in the lower abdomen you are in trouble because if it hit the intestines you are looking at the blood being contaminated by the bacteria in those organs.

For exit wounds, apply pressure to both sides if you can. You want to try and con-troll the bleeding/slow it down.

In both cases keep the person warm and calm. They will most likely be in shock and will not know that they should not be walking around or moving. Keep them seated or lying down. Try to keep the wound elevated above the heart if possible, but most of all call 911 and keep the person calm. The more they get upset that faster their heart beats, the more blood gets pumped, the faster they bleed.

Answer 8

Same as for most other trauma - Breathing, Bleeding, Broken Bones - Treat for shock.

If you smoke, the celophane around a pack of cigarettes makes a good "bandage" to cover a sucking chest wound.

Be careful about applying a tourniquet. If help isn't fairly quick in getting there you risk amputation.

Answer 9

ok this is first aid from the army for a gun shot wound, and we know how to do it. first check for responsiveness and bleeding, look for the exit wound, cover it and apply pressure, the address the entry wound and keep pressure on it to suppress bleeding, ofcourse if the victim is not breathing first administer cpr to revive them, then care for the wound, above all keep the victim consioues other wise there could be major issues, if the wound can be lifted high than the heart do so to slow the bleeding that is basic if you want more go to this site www.armystudyguide.com search first aid for gunshot wound

Answer 10

pressure on the wound...stop the blood flow...get to a hospital or nearest first aid station.