First Aid (Fandom Style), Friday, Period 3

[ifwebeworthy]

"So," Don said, leaning against the teacher's desk, "your buddy just cut his arm off with his laser sword. It's actually called a lightsaber. But you're not worried about that right now, because his arm is off. What now? The good news is, lasers cauterize, so your buddy isn't going to bleed to death. The bad news is that lasers cauterize, so reattaching the limb is going to be nigh impossible, but that's a surgeon's problem, not yours. Put it on ice just in case anyway. Then your real danger you need to watch for is going to be shock." Don proceeded to quickly run through the warning signs of shock and what to do about it.

"Speaking of cauterization, it is in most cases not best first aid practice in the modern world. Cauterization is, for those of you unfamiliar, the technique of burning, usually by the application of hot metal, the flesh in order to stop bleeding or remove something like a tumor. It does work, and you may find yourselves in a situation where it's useful, so I just want to make you aware of it.

"Now, let's say your buddy just cut his limb off with not a lightsaber. Let's say he lost a finger to a kitchen knife. It happens. Step one, control bleeding. Get a dish towel or something and apply pressure on the wound. Step two, get the finger on ice. This will give a good surgeon the best chance of reattaching it. If you're talking about a larger limb then this is when you would use a tourniquet, and keep that limb elevated above the head and the heart to slow blood flow. You may even have to pinch off the artery--yes, with your fingers. Yes, I know. But you want to give your friend the best possible chance of keeping his life and his hand, even though it's currently lying over there in an ice chest.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

Comments

Sign In

[ifwebeworthy]

It's all fun and games until someone loses a hand.

Re: Sign In

[what_big_teeth]

Eleanor Zarrin

Re: Sign In

[deathtofrendo]

Quinn Maybrook

Re: Sign In

[gospel_of_oblivion]

Illyana Rasputin

Re: Sign In

[fears_no_one]

Flint

[ifwebeworthy]

You may have to what the artery?

[what_big_teeth]

You know what? With her ethics class yesterday, Eleanor was really looking forward to a class where she was just listening and taking copious amounts of notes, so thank you for being reliable for that, Dr. Blake!

Once the notes were done, then she could flail about being too nervous to actually deal with stuff like this, but maybe she could just sit back and let everyone else ask the questions that might give her more notes to take! Perfect plan!

Questions Time!

[ifwebeworthy]

For any you may have.

Re: Questions Time!

[deathtofrendo]

"I'm guessing you'd say the same for toes," Quinn said. Not quite a question.

She already knew that she had not handled the amputation of most of her toes with a shovel the "right" way. But hey, at least Dr. Lecter had managed to save them anyway?

Re: Questions Time!

[ifwebeworthy]

"The same protocol applies to all your appendages," Don confirmed. "Get whatever's come off on ice, control the bleeding, and get to the nearest ER or equivalent."

Re: Questions Time!

[fears_no_one]

"Say you were the one inflicting this sort of wound," Flint said. "Slicing through the artery would be a quick, clean death?"

Not the point of this class, Flint.

Re: Questions Time!

[ifwebeworthy]

"If you're aiming for a quick death, severing an artery or a vein is always your best bet," Don said helpfully, like a helper. Look, he didn't know your lives enough to judge. "Opposite of clean, though." Just blood everywhere.

Re: Questions Time!

[fears_no_one]

"I'm fairly adept at moving out of the way," Flint assured him.

Talk to Don

[ifwebeworthy]

For your non-lightsaber-related concerns.

OOC

[ifwebeworthy]

To keep the internet from falling out.