Below is an excerpt of an article regarding how to treat gunshot wounds.
Of course all non-scholarly articles are an oversimplification, and it is best to leave situations like this to the experts. However, the below information may be helpful when medical attention is delayed.
http://thesurvivaldoctor.com/2012/07/26/gunshot-wounds/
How to Treat 4 Types of Gunshot Wounds
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Head
Think about: the airway.
Tips:
Attempt to control the bleeding with direct pressure as best you can (no tourniquets around the neck).
Make sure the blood doesn’t choke the person. You can have a conscious person sit up and lean forward, or turn an unconscious person on their side and bend the top knee forward to keep them that way.
If you believe a carotid artery (that large artery on either side of the neck that supplies the brain) is nicked, you can apply soft direct pressure, and include an occlusive dressing.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Chest
Think about: air sucking, spine injury.
Tips:
Open chest wounds are also nicknamed sucking chest wounds because they suck air in and can lead to a collapsed lung. You can help stop the sucking by closing the open wound with an occlusive dressing.
Remember the spine is also included in the back of the chest. Be very careful about movement of these victims. You want to keep them as still as possible and not damage the spinal cord.
If the heart, the lungs, the spine, or a large blood vessel is damaged, there’s not much you can do outside getting immediate expert medical care.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Abdomen
Think about: organ protection.
Tips:
If the wound is open and you can see the intestines, find a moist, sterile dressing to place on top of the wound (to protect the organs).
If the intestines are ripped open, the victim needs immediate medical care. If they don’t bleed to death, they’ll likely die of the coming severe infection.
The victim should take nothing at all by mouth until the pain lets up, and then wait a day or two. This is obviously a difficult situation, but this step is very important and a time when a slow drip of IV fluids would be useful.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Arms or Legs
Think about: bones.
Tips:
Direct pressure, elevation, pressure bandage—in that order. Elevate the wound above the heart, and apply a pressure bandage. Then if it’s still bleeding, take your fingers and apply pressure to the brachial artery for the arm or the femoral artery for the leg
If all else fails in an extremity, go to a tourniquet. (It may come down to “lose a limb or lose a life”.
If the area is rapidly swelling, that’s a sign of internal bleeding. Also, consider that a bone might have been injured, even shattered. If you suspect this, the area needs to be splinted.
If an arm wound won’t stop bleeding despite direct pressure to the wound and elevation, press on the brachial artery (below the armpit). Do this by grabbing underneath the person’s arm, wrapping your fingers to the artery (inner arm), and pressing firmly on it with your fingers. You’ll know you probably have it right when the bleeding slows down. If it’s still not controlled, try pressure nearer to the heart.
Here’s a trick to try it out now: Get a partner, and find the person’s radial pulse (in the wrist on the thumb side). Then grab the upper arm as described above. You should feel the pulse stop. Only do this for a couple of seconds, of course, since you’re stopping blood flow.
For a leg wound that won’t stop bleeding, apply pressure to the femoral artery, shown in the picture on the right. The best place to do this is in the middle of the bend between the front of leg and the hip.
For a Superficial Wound
If the gunshot wound is superficial, clean it as much as you can. Start antibiotics when you’re finished taking care of the wounds.
One More Thing: What About the Bullet?
In most circumstances, you don’t want to remove an implanted bullet. It’s almost impossible to find, and it may actually be corking up a big blood vessel.
Thousands of military members live daily with shrapnel in their bodies. Unless there’s initial infection from the wound itself, the body adapts to most metal without much serious problem.
Gunshot wounds can run the gamut. Some people are too severely injured to save. Get expert treatment as soon as possible.
Of course all non-scholarly articles are an oversimplification, and it is best to leave situations like this to the experts. However, the below information may be helpful when medical attention is delayed.
http://thesurvivaldoctor.com/2012/07/26/gunshot-wounds/
How to Treat 4 Types of Gunshot Wounds
by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Head
Think about: the airway.
Tips:
Attempt to control the bleeding with direct pressure as best you can (no tourniquets around the neck).
Make sure the blood doesn’t choke the person. You can have a conscious person sit up and lean forward, or turn an unconscious person on their side and bend the top knee forward to keep them that way.
If you believe a carotid artery (that large artery on either side of the neck that supplies the brain) is nicked, you can apply soft direct pressure, and include an occlusive dressing.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Chest
Think about: air sucking, spine injury.
Tips:
Open chest wounds are also nicknamed sucking chest wounds because they suck air in and can lead to a collapsed lung. You can help stop the sucking by closing the open wound with an occlusive dressing.
Remember the spine is also included in the back of the chest. Be very careful about movement of these victims. You want to keep them as still as possible and not damage the spinal cord.
If the heart, the lungs, the spine, or a large blood vessel is damaged, there’s not much you can do outside getting immediate expert medical care.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Abdomen
Think about: organ protection.
Tips:
If the wound is open and you can see the intestines, find a moist, sterile dressing to place on top of the wound (to protect the organs).
If the intestines are ripped open, the victim needs immediate medical care. If they don’t bleed to death, they’ll likely die of the coming severe infection.
The victim should take nothing at all by mouth until the pain lets up, and then wait a day or two. This is obviously a difficult situation, but this step is very important and a time when a slow drip of IV fluids would be useful.
For a Gunshot Wound in the Arms or Legs
Think about: bones.
Tips:
Direct pressure, elevation, pressure bandage—in that order. Elevate the wound above the heart, and apply a pressure bandage. Then if it’s still bleeding, take your fingers and apply pressure to the brachial artery for the arm or the femoral artery for the leg
If all else fails in an extremity, go to a tourniquet. (It may come down to “lose a limb or lose a life”.
If the area is rapidly swelling, that’s a sign of internal bleeding. Also, consider that a bone might have been injured, even shattered. If you suspect this, the area needs to be splinted.
If an arm wound won’t stop bleeding despite direct pressure to the wound and elevation, press on the brachial artery (below the armpit). Do this by grabbing underneath the person’s arm, wrapping your fingers to the artery (inner arm), and pressing firmly on it with your fingers. You’ll know you probably have it right when the bleeding slows down. If it’s still not controlled, try pressure nearer to the heart.
Here’s a trick to try it out now: Get a partner, and find the person’s radial pulse (in the wrist on the thumb side). Then grab the upper arm as described above. You should feel the pulse stop. Only do this for a couple of seconds, of course, since you’re stopping blood flow.
For a leg wound that won’t stop bleeding, apply pressure to the femoral artery, shown in the picture on the right. The best place to do this is in the middle of the bend between the front of leg and the hip.
For a Superficial Wound
If the gunshot wound is superficial, clean it as much as you can. Start antibiotics when you’re finished taking care of the wounds.
One More Thing: What About the Bullet?
In most circumstances, you don’t want to remove an implanted bullet. It’s almost impossible to find, and it may actually be corking up a big blood vessel.
Thousands of military members live daily with shrapnel in their bodies. Unless there’s initial infection from the wound itself, the body adapts to most metal without much serious problem.
Gunshot wounds can run the gamut. Some people are too severely injured to save. Get expert treatment as soon as possible.
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