One of the hardest things about trauma medicine is knowing where to begin. If you aren’t somebody who uses these skills on the regular, like an EMT or Paramedic, then you’re likely to be a little off your game. But that’s expected.
Emergencies are tense and scary and that can cause an unexperienced first responder to hesitate. But there are a few tricks that can help you make the right call when it matters most.
Shock is a term that can be very broad in its description but can also be broken down into more precise definitions. Many people mistake the term “shock” to mean that dazed and confused state some victims go into after experiencing something emotionally traumatizing.
Emotional shock is still a concern for a medic but is not usually considered life-threatening in an emergency. For our study today, we’ll focus on medical forms of shock and hopefully approach it in a way that’s easy to understand.
One of the things I say with regularity is how important it is to learn wound packing. But if you haven’t heard, here’s why:
Wound packing is an essential skill because a tourniquet (TQ) cannot be used to treat all life-threatening bleeding. Don’t get me wrong, TQs work great for arms and legs, but if you’re bleeding from anywhere else, such as your neck or groin, wound packing is the only thing that will save your life.
I’ve gotten some questions recently asking what I think is better, QuikClot, or Combat Gauze. There are a few differences that might help you understand what it is you’re carrying in your trauma kit.
Ok, I get it. Firearm training is a lot sexier than medical training. But to be a good defender, prepared for emergencies both natural and man-made, means having an acceptable collection of skills and knowledge.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that if you’re going to carry the tools to make holes, (defensive weapons) you need the tools to patch holes (trauma gear). This conference is your chance to get trained in both, from excellent, world class instructors with real life experience.
Continue reading Teaching Emergency Trauma at the Active Self Protection Conference!
It seems to me that most rumors, if left uninvestigated for too long after being conceived, tend to die long slow, and painful deaths.
One of my favorite topics on this blog is investigating emergency trauma myths and whether they’re worth holding on to.
Some rumors (such as extremity elevation above the level of the heart to reduce bleeding) are actually found to be effective after being studied by health care researchers.
But most rumors (like, “your limb will amputated if a TQ is used”) are false, dangerous, and have killed many people over the years.
In this article we’ll be discussing why Tampons are a
terrible choice to stock in your trauma kit, and some items that will work much better for saving your own life, or the life of a loved one.
Live Training with Mountain Man Medical at the ConcealedCarry.com Guardian Conference, Presented by CCW Safe
After a year of lost training due to Covid shutdowns, it’s time to get back to picking up new skills or brushing up on old ones.
The month of September is full of live training! Learning about trauma techniques from the internet is better than nothing, but it doesn’t beat in-person training – Ask questions and practice procedures, so you can confidently save a life when it matters most.
Continue reading Come Train Live with Mountain Man Medical!
Shortly after high school, I took my wife’s family out for a short summer camping trip to one of Colorado’s national forests.
It was just me, an overconfident 19-year-old, my future wife and her younger siblings spending a few nights under the stars. I showed them what I knew about building fires and throwing knives, but after a while we got bored and decided to head out for a hike.
While we strolled along in the back, her siblings ran on ahead and I lost sight of them for a short time.
Continue reading Mountain Man Medical Talks Moose Safety
I don’t know how other branches instill passion in their medics, but in the US Navy it’s done by telling the legends of our craft. The heroes who’ve gone before us to set the example and show us what being a combat medic means.
One of these who inspired me early in my career was the story of Pharmacist’s Mate 1st Class Wheeler Lipes, who, while at sea and underwater in enemy territory, preformed an illegal surgery that saved the life of his shipmate.
Continue reading The Incredible Story of the World’s 1st Illegal Underwater Surgery
The quick and timely application of a tourniquet has saved many lives and all good medics ensure their gear is ready to go. Cutting down on steps and thinking ahead helps a bad situation go a little more smoothly. And every little bit counts.
Maybe you learned this lesson the hard way, or maybe you prefer to just listen to those of us who did.
Either way, setting up your TQ is a great idea and here are some things that will make your life easier:
Continue reading 4 Ways to Carry and Stage Your Tourniquet
With summer comes outdoor activities like hiking and camping, and yard work. With the warmer weather comes more interaction with wildlife like snakes.
Knowing what to do with snake bites could help you to come out on top in a bad situation. In this article I will be discussing some first aid, dos and don’ts so you can save the day.
Continue reading Should YOU Tourniquet a Snake Bite?