Emergency Medicine: This Is The One Thing You Haven’t Planned For
Jeremiah Johnson
1 Comment
29
4
2
57
15
Good Day, guys and gals in Ready Nutrition land. JJ here with another trauma medicine segment that it would be worth your while to file away with your first aid notes and prepping supplies. We are all sure that someday we will need to use these supplies and reference materials. Hopefully your prepping now will take some of the bite out when crunch time comes, whether that be a short-term or long-term emergency or disaster, or if society goes kaput as a whole when the SHTF.
Today’s article covers the parameters of shock, an ever-present and always-looming specter haunting every medical emergency and waiting in the wings to strike. What is shock? Well, it is a very broad category. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 19th Ed., pg. 1884, defines shock as “A clinical syndrome marked by inadequate perfusion and oxygenation of cells, tissues, and organs, usually as a result of marginal or markedly lowered blood pressure.”
Well, that’s certainly a mouthful! But what does it mean? Basically, as oxygen is carried to the tissues by the blood, it is almost akin to the entire body running out of air (oxygen, specifically), and being unable to supply the organs and systems. That is an oversimplification, of course; however, it means that the homeostasis that your body maintains by regulating itself in terms of autonomic function (controlled by your body automatically) is out of alignment or not functioning at all.
Readers, here’s the rule for you: Shock is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency that must be definitively treated after first aid is rendered to stabilize the patient!
Once you have stabilized the patient, you must take him or her to a doctor or a hospital. Fluid resuscitation is vital, in most cases, and this involves oral replacement (as in hydration with water and/or electrolyte containing beverages such as Gatorade or Powerade) and/or IV therapy. So what do you do? When does this happen? Let’s take a hypothetical patient: Johnny B. Goode, with whom you went camping. Johnny was digging a fire pit and accidentally dug into a buried electrical cable, and he suffered a severe electrical shock and passed out. You come upon him lying on his back with some burns on the hands and face and his clothes burnt in the front, his teeth chattering and babbling incoherently. You assess the situation: Johnny is going into shock. Time to act.
[list=2]
[*]Position your patient: Move him/her to cover if available, lay patient on back or in sitting position (whichever is easier to breathe for him/her), and elevate the patient’s feet higher than the heart using a stable/stationary object (such as a log or a rock)….Note: You elevate the feet only if there is no C-spine (cervical spine) injury, head wound abdominal wound, or unsplinted fractured or broken leg.
[/list]
[list=3]
[*]Loosen clothing at the neck, waist, or anywhere it is tight or restrictive.
[/list]
[list=4]
[*]Prevent the patient from becoming chilled or overheated: Using a blanket, clothing, or improvised material (pine boughs, cardboard, etc.) cover your patient to prevent heat loss…and in cold weather, place material under the patient as well…preventing heat loss into the ground. In hot weather: place the patient under either a permanent shelter (a cave/rock hollow), or improvise a shelter (using a blanket tied off at the four corners for a shade/awning) to protect from direct sunlight and overheating.
[/list]
[list=5]
[*]Calm and reassure your patient: Believe it or not, this is the most important one of all if your patient is conscious. Take charge and show him/her that the situation is under control. Give constant reassurance that the patient is being taken care of and you are going to keep the patient safe. Do not leave your patient! If you must leave to deal with something else (a runaway brush fire or a grizzly bear), first turn the patient’s head to one side (barring C-spine injury) to prevent inhalation if the patient vomits.
[/list]
[list=6]
[*]Watch the patient and monitor for life-threatening conditions that may develop…and SEEK MEDICAL AID!
[/list]
So there are your basic steps. Other important considerations are for your first-aid kit and emergency gear. I always travel with a large rucksack in my vehicle that has both a poncho liner and a space blanket. In addition, I carry a U.S. Army issue foam pad for use under my sleeping bag. You can find ones a little more “non-Neolithic” that actually inflate; however, these foam ones are cost-effective and replaceable. They also work: they’ll insulate you from the ground (as mentioned earlier).
You are your own best monitor, and when you’re not monitoring yourself, you need to help monitor the others in your group. Teach them to do the same. You can all mutually support one another and prevent shock before it occurs in times of high physical exertion such as comes with a disaster or an emergency. Remember, this article is for informational purposes and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prescribe any condition or action outlined herein. Consult with your licensed, certified, state-sanctioned-state controlled physician prior to taking any actions as outlined in this article. Take care of yourselves and each other, have a great time in the outdoors, and be safe.
JJ
Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne). Mr. Johnson was a Special Forces Medic, EMT and ACLS-certified, with comprehensive training in wilderness survival, rescue, and patient-extraction. He is a Certified Master Herbalist and a graduate of the Global College of Natural Medicine of Santa Ana, CA. A graduate of the U.S. Army’s survival course of SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape), Mr. Johnson also successfully completed the Montana Master Food Preserver Course for home-canning, smoking, and dehydrating foods.
Mr. Johnson dries and tinctures a wide variety of medicinal herbs taken by wild crafting and cultivation, in addition to preserving and canning his own food. An expert in land navigation, survival, mountaineering, and parachuting as trained by the United States Army, Mr. Johnson is an ardent advocate for preparedness, self-sufficiency, and long-term disaster sustainability for families. He and his wife survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Cross-trained as a Special Forces Engineer, he is an expert in supply, logistics, transport, and long-term storage of perishable materials, having incorporated many of these techniques plus some unique innovations in his own homestead.
Mr. Johnson brings practical, tested experience firmly rooted in formal education to his writings and to our team. He and his wife live in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with their three cats.
Jeremiah Johnson
1 Comment
29
4
2
57
15
Good Day, guys and gals in Ready Nutrition land. JJ here with another trauma medicine segment that it would be worth your while to file away with your first aid notes and prepping supplies. We are all sure that someday we will need to use these supplies and reference materials. Hopefully your prepping now will take some of the bite out when crunch time comes, whether that be a short-term or long-term emergency or disaster, or if society goes kaput as a whole when the SHTF.
Today’s article covers the parameters of shock, an ever-present and always-looming specter haunting every medical emergency and waiting in the wings to strike. What is shock? Well, it is a very broad category. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 19th Ed., pg. 1884, defines shock as “A clinical syndrome marked by inadequate perfusion and oxygenation of cells, tissues, and organs, usually as a result of marginal or markedly lowered blood pressure.”
Well, that’s certainly a mouthful! But what does it mean? Basically, as oxygen is carried to the tissues by the blood, it is almost akin to the entire body running out of air (oxygen, specifically), and being unable to supply the organs and systems. That is an oversimplification, of course; however, it means that the homeostasis that your body maintains by regulating itself in terms of autonomic function (controlled by your body automatically) is out of alignment or not functioning at all.
Signs of Shock
Causes can be dehydration [from heat injuries], bleeding (i.e., hemorrhage), cardiac/heart problems, trauma, disease, poisoning, and so forth. Common symptoms are confusion, agitation, restlessness, anxiety, difficulty breathing. Remember: symptoms are what a patient feels. Signs are those things that can be monitored, seen, and quantified:- cool or clammy skin
- cyanosis (turning blue of the skin)
- racing/irregular heartbeat
- blood pressure failure
Readers, here’s the rule for you: Shock is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency that must be definitively treated after first aid is rendered to stabilize the patient!
Once you have stabilized the patient, you must take him or her to a doctor or a hospital. Fluid resuscitation is vital, in most cases, and this involves oral replacement (as in hydration with water and/or electrolyte containing beverages such as Gatorade or Powerade) and/or IV therapy. So what do you do? When does this happen? Let’s take a hypothetical patient: Johnny B. Goode, with whom you went camping. Johnny was digging a fire pit and accidentally dug into a buried electrical cable, and he suffered a severe electrical shock and passed out. You come upon him lying on his back with some burns on the hands and face and his clothes burnt in the front, his teeth chattering and babbling incoherently. You assess the situation: Johnny is going into shock. Time to act.
- Check your patient for signs of shock: Look for sweaty but cool skin, pale skin, restlessness or nervousness, thirst, severe bleeding, confusion, rapid breathing, blotchy blue skin, nausea and/or vomiting. [Johnny is nervous and confused with rapid breathing…you determine he is definitely going into shock]
[list=2]
[*]Position your patient: Move him/her to cover if available, lay patient on back or in sitting position (whichever is easier to breathe for him/her), and elevate the patient’s feet higher than the heart using a stable/stationary object (such as a log or a rock)….Note: You elevate the feet only if there is no C-spine (cervical spine) injury, head wound abdominal wound, or unsplinted fractured or broken leg.
[/list]
[list=3]
[*]Loosen clothing at the neck, waist, or anywhere it is tight or restrictive.
[/list]
[list=4]
[*]Prevent the patient from becoming chilled or overheated: Using a blanket, clothing, or improvised material (pine boughs, cardboard, etc.) cover your patient to prevent heat loss…and in cold weather, place material under the patient as well…preventing heat loss into the ground. In hot weather: place the patient under either a permanent shelter (a cave/rock hollow), or improvise a shelter (using a blanket tied off at the four corners for a shade/awning) to protect from direct sunlight and overheating.
[/list]
[list=5]
[*]Calm and reassure your patient: Believe it or not, this is the most important one of all if your patient is conscious. Take charge and show him/her that the situation is under control. Give constant reassurance that the patient is being taken care of and you are going to keep the patient safe. Do not leave your patient! If you must leave to deal with something else (a runaway brush fire or a grizzly bear), first turn the patient’s head to one side (barring C-spine injury) to prevent inhalation if the patient vomits.
[/list]
[list=6]
[*]Watch the patient and monitor for life-threatening conditions that may develop…and SEEK MEDICAL AID!
[/list]
So there are your basic steps. Other important considerations are for your first-aid kit and emergency gear. I always travel with a large rucksack in my vehicle that has both a poncho liner and a space blanket. In addition, I carry a U.S. Army issue foam pad for use under my sleeping bag. You can find ones a little more “non-Neolithic” that actually inflate; however, these foam ones are cost-effective and replaceable. They also work: they’ll insulate you from the ground (as mentioned earlier).
You are your own best monitor, and when you’re not monitoring yourself, you need to help monitor the others in your group. Teach them to do the same. You can all mutually support one another and prevent shock before it occurs in times of high physical exertion such as comes with a disaster or an emergency. Remember, this article is for informational purposes and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prescribe any condition or action outlined herein. Consult with your licensed, certified, state-sanctioned-state controlled physician prior to taking any actions as outlined in this article. Take care of yourselves and each other, have a great time in the outdoors, and be safe.
JJ
Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne). Mr. Johnson was a Special Forces Medic, EMT and ACLS-certified, with comprehensive training in wilderness survival, rescue, and patient-extraction. He is a Certified Master Herbalist and a graduate of the Global College of Natural Medicine of Santa Ana, CA. A graduate of the U.S. Army’s survival course of SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape), Mr. Johnson also successfully completed the Montana Master Food Preserver Course for home-canning, smoking, and dehydrating foods.
Mr. Johnson dries and tinctures a wide variety of medicinal herbs taken by wild crafting and cultivation, in addition to preserving and canning his own food. An expert in land navigation, survival, mountaineering, and parachuting as trained by the United States Army, Mr. Johnson is an ardent advocate for preparedness, self-sufficiency, and long-term disaster sustainability for families. He and his wife survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Cross-trained as a Special Forces Engineer, he is an expert in supply, logistics, transport, and long-term storage of perishable materials, having incorporated many of these techniques plus some unique innovations in his own homestead.
Mr. Johnson brings practical, tested experience firmly rooted in formal education to his writings and to our team. He and his wife live in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with their three cats.
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Mr. Al-Hakim calls for making Iraq a regional headquarters for international organizations
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Mr. Al-Hakim: Kirkuk is our miniature Iraq and success in it is success for Iraq
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Ports: Al-Faw-Umm Qasr Road will be completed ahead of schedule
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Budget amendment includes only one paragraph related to the region’s oil
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» 94% increase in foreign remittance sales in Iraqi currency auction
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» $10 Billion Cash Flows into Bitcoin Funds Since Trump Win
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Financial Supervision Bureau: The percentage of localizing salaries of regional employees exceeded 8
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Formation of a government committee to close down violating industrial activities
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Iraq rises to third place in the Arab world in gold reserves after Lebanon leaves the list
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Laboratories for the unemployed
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Closing of {private} institutes in Babylon
Today at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Labor is studying the establishment of factories and production lines to employ the unemployed
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Iraq is moving towards developing the private sector
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Moves to improve the investment environment and implement import policy
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Ministry of Planning to {Al Sabah}: The government has processed 1,104 projects
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» The Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control grants the Iraqi Quality Mark to th
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Financial Supervision Bureau: The percentage of localizing salaries of Kurdistan Region employees ex
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Washington reassures Baghdad: Syrian factions will not attack you
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Trump appoints his lawyer Alina Habba of "Iraqi origin" as an advisor to the president
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Integrity Commission discloses its activities in the field of disclosure of assets and money inflati
Today at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Advantages of the modern electronic ration card
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister attends meeting of presidencies and state administration coalition to discuss develop
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani launches Baghdad Forests Project
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Ministry of Planning: The government has processed 1,104 projects
Today at 4:13 am by Rocky
» Presidencies and State Administration Meeting: The Importance of Respecting the Choices of the Syria
Today at 4:12 am by Rocky
» Al-Sadr after the fall of Assad: We look forward to balanced relations between Iraq and Syria
Today at 4:11 am by Rocky
» US National Security Advisor: We are working to strengthen Iraq so that the conflict does not spread
Today at 4:10 am by Rocky
» Integrity Commission discloses its activities in the field of disclosure of assets and money inflati
Today at 4:08 am by Rocky
» British newspaper: Iraq's development path will compete with the Suez Canal
Today at 4:07 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani's wise policies save Iraq from a regional storm
Today at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Amending Article 12 whets the appetite for amendments.. The tripartite budget has become “binary”
Today at 4:01 am by Rocky
» Find out the exchange rates of the dollar against the dinar in Iraq
Today at 3:59 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Integrity Commission reveals statistics on corruption cases in the region during 2024
Today at 3:58 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee Criticizes Dollar Selling Platform: It Has Many Problems and Suspicions of C
Today at 3:55 am by Rocky
» Trump appoints new adviser of Iraqi origin
Today at 3:54 am by Rocky
» utube 12/7/24 MM&C MM&C-Iraq Dinar News-Prime Minister Al-Sudani- Speaks to the People- The World-
Yesterday at 10:04 am by Rocky
» utube 12/5/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar News-Executive & Legislative Authority Integration-Full Support-
Yesterday at 10:04 am by Rocky
» Where did the amendment of the budget items related to oil exports in the Kurdistan Region stand?
Yesterday at 6:53 am by Rocky
» Article 12 of the budget ignites controversy under the dome of Parliament
Yesterday at 6:50 am by Rocky
» The number of representatives does not exceed 70 representatives
Yesterday at 6:47 am by Rocky
» Central Bank Sells Over $300 Million in Auction Today
Yesterday at 6:45 am by Rocky
» Financial Supervision calls for building strong and effective partnerships between the private secto
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Iranian gas and bitter cold exacerbate Iraq's electricity crisis
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Nusairi calls on the media to be patriotic, transparent and supportive of the national economy
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» The extent of Iraq's influence on unstable political events and disturbances with our neighbors, Ara
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Despite the rise in domestic borrowing, a government advisor says the financial situation is stable
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani confirms his support for the joint operation project for hospitals and addressing its obst
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic stresses the importance of addressing the phenomenon of gas emissions
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Today.. Parliament votes on 5 laws
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» (Riyada) breaks the shackles of unemployment and opens the doors of the future for young people
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani launches Baghdad Forests Project
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Activating 16 oil wells in Kirkuk
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Abstention of students and teachers from the outskirts
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Agriculture: Signing a contract with FAO to use advanced technologies
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Municipality: 33 companies compete to expand the capital’s sewers
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Next year.. Implementation of BRT and public transport projects
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Iraq's turn has come.. Iraqi leader from Tehran: Americans must be expelled from Baghdad and the war
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Who is responsible for the delay? Source: Kurdistan’s non-oil revenues cover the salary deficit
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Gas supply halt deprives Iraq of production from largest power plant in Diyala
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Al-Asadi: The Workers’ Social Security Law has stimulated the labor market and pushed young people t
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Despite regional tensions, car companies establish a foothold in Iraq via Erbil
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Syrian Crisis: Iraq’s “Cautious” Position and Participation Dependent on Developments
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» Security Media: Implementation of a controlled destruction operation of war remnants west of Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Trade excludes the impact of the Syrian crisis on the Iraqi economy and food security
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Electricity: Smart transformation does not impose an increase in tariff prices
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Migration: We are ready for any displacement from Syria to Iraq
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» House of Representatives holds session to vote on important draft laws
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» "Controversial" laws return again.. House of Representatives holds "important" session today
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» With the participation of Iraq.. The 26th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum b
Yesterday at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Donating employees’ salaries... “mandatory” volunteering and a “suspicious” formula
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Dollar exchange rates in Iraqi governorates today
Yesterday at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Where did the amendment of the budget items related to oil exports in the Kurdistan Region stand?
Yesterday at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Transferring its employees to Lebanon.. Iraq evacuates its embassy in Syria
Yesterday at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Launching a new batch of housing loans at the beginning of 2025
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 7:02 am by Rocky
» After the completion of the five berths, Al-Faw Port prepares to receive the first commercial ship
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:59 am by Rocky
» Mazhar Mohammed Saleh: Iraq's economy, financial flows and trade relations will not be affected by e
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:54 am by Rocky
» A new crisis is on the line.. Al-Sudani throws the ball of the ministerial reshuffle into the court
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:49 am by Rocky
» Politician: Halbousi's visit to Washington is suspicious and mysterious
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:47 am by Rocky
» US official: Washington informed Iraq not to get involved in the conflict in Syria
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:44 am by Rocky
» After the Tripartite .. Iraq plans to host an international meeting to discuss the repercussions of
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:43 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sells more than $1 billion in 5 days
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:40 am by Rocky
» Iraq participates in a ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 6:34 am by Rocky
» “Delayed accountability” makes efforts to combat corruption falter
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:45 am by Rocky
» Economist: The parallel market sells the dollar at a price not controlled by the government
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:41 am by Rocky
» 12 railway lines returned to service in Iraq
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:40 am by Rocky
» MP: Political consensus hindered ministerial reshuffle, field reform is the most appropriate solutio
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:38 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Security: Türkiye's camps inside Iraq reveal its occupation intentions
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Khanjar leads internal political movement to prevent Iraq from supporting the Assad regime
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:34 am by Rocky
» According to Mercer, the Iraqi capital is the second worst Arab city for expatriates
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:33 am by Rocky
» Samarra Pharmaceutical Company's contracts with the Ministry of Health to increase in 2024
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:31 am by Rocky
» Bitcoin retreats as traders hedge against possible correction
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:30 am by Rocky
» Is Iraq affected economically by the current events in Syria? Al-Sudani’s advisor explains
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:27 am by Rocky
» Baghdad.. Exchange rates record 152 thousand dinars per hundred dollars
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:26 am by Rocky
» Rafidain Bank Restructuring Program.. Justifications and Requirements
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:22 am by Rocky
» MP accuses region of "evading" paying salaries to employees
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:21 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary confirmation: There are no intentions to send official forces to Syria
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:16 am by Rocky
» The beginning of resolving many issues.. MP: The general amnesty will proceed "consensually"
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani's advisor: Iraq's economy will not be affected by current events in Syria
Sat 07 Dec 2024, 4:13 am by Rocky