First Aid for Cuts

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

I got one this past summer after cutting my big belly.

Dave

[Greyhair]

The first time I went to a carving class a lady dropped her knife and it stuck in her foot. She was wearing sandals. It was at that time that she told me, the person sitting next to her that she was a bleeder. Before I could stop her she pulled the knife out and blood was going every where. I took a roll of my stretch tape that I use for thumb protection and I wrapped it around her foot to stop the bleeding until the paramedics arrived. The paramedics applauded me for using the tape. It was very effective.

[SlowMover]

Thats a good point Greyhair..the standard for controlling bleeding is direct pressure..push right over the bleeding point, preferablly with a clean (you are most like not going to have anything sterile, but if you do great) cloth, towel, etc. By pressure, I don't mean gently laying someting on top of a cut, I mean pressing as hard as it takes to stop the bleeding, if it leaks you gotta press harder. After 25 years of working in surgery, and nearly that many years of ER call..I guarantee you that you will never see bleeding that you can't stop with direct pressure unless you are a clumsy chainsaw carver. Even a traumatic ampitation of an entire hand can be controlled with firm enough direct pressure..the only arteries large enough to defete direct pressure are the carotid, the femoral, the aorta and possibly the brachial (upper arm). Once pressure is applied..DO NOT ease it up to check on the cut..leave the pressure there until definitave help is available.

A note to people on blood thinners (like me)..you will need to hold pressure on most any cut, even minor ones, for at LEAST 15 minutes to have any hope of the bleeding stopping...time it by the clock, it is an unbelievably long time to sit and hold pressure on a cut for 15 minutes..most folks think they are done by 5..use the clock or you will just be starting over again.

Be safe, and be smart when you aren't safe by knowing what to do.

[jimmy joe]

Thanks for starting the thread Slo and sharing your experience with us . Although common sense seems to be the main theme here it is always good to be reminded and updated . I also learned a few things and that is always good .