First Aid Workshop # 5, Tuesday Morning

[blonde-doctor.livejournal.com]

Elliot seems a little gleeful as she welcomes the students.

"Okay, so today? Is broken bone day. Well, actually, it's about fractures, sprains, strains and dislocations in general. See, they're all really hard to tell apart without an X-ray or medical training. So the rule is to always, always act like it's a fracture. Patients might report a "grating" sensation of bones rubbing together, extreme pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising and an inability to move the injured part. In first aid, you control any bleeding, take care of any shock, splint the affected area, and apply cold packs.

Victims with traumatic injuries, like what you'd see from a car wreck or a fall, should not be moved except by trained rescue workers. Head, neck and back injuries are serious and require special care for movement and transport of victims with these conditions.The one exception is if the victim is genuinely at risk of further injury -- like, if a car crash with people still in the cars is on train tracks. If that's going on, stabilize the head and neck and move the person without flexing the head, neck or spinal cord.

I've split you guys into groups of three: you should all watch me demonstrate splint technique for all fracture areas, and then practice it yourselves on the body parts you've been assigned. Work on each other, or ... well, the good news is, the Danger Shop has quit sending up badgers when I asked for victims. The bad news is, it's giving me miniature llamas instead. If someone knows how to actually work this thing, let me know, otherwise you can practice veterinary medicine, or tape up each other. If you don't want to work on each other? Watch out for the llama spit."

[OOC: OCD is up. Mod "victims" as appropriate.]

Comments

Re: Group 4: Peter Pevensie, Isabel Evans, Walter Dornez

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

"Right then. So, it's a given that in a situation where we can get professionals to come, we keep the person immobile and wait. But if, for instance, our friend has fallen behind enemy lines and the medics can't get there, this (http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/splint.shtml) handwavy piece of information says to strap together the victim's legs with a blanket between them and transport them on a board."

In the meantime, their victim was looking pale and complaining that he felt as though he was going to come apart at the seams.

Re: Group 4: Peter Pevensie, Isabel Evans, Walter Dornez

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

Peter nodded. "Seems like a sound plan to me." He looked around for a stretcher and backboard.

Re: Group 4: Peter Pevensie, Isabel Evans, Walter Dornez

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel walked up, carrying a backboard. "When I heard what fracture we were assigned I figured we'd need this."

Re: Group 4: Peter Pevensie, Isabel Evans, Walter Dornez

[once-a-king.livejournal.com]

"Brilliant, Isabel," Peter said with a grin. "I suppose the question now is if we can stabilise our friend enough to get him onto it without further breaking his spine."

Re: Group 4: Peter Pevensie, Isabel Evans, Walter Dornez

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Someone should definitely take charge of his head and neck. Make sure they don't move," she replied. "Then maybe we can edge the board under him?"