On April 15, 2013, two home-made bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and wounding 264 people. The bombs detonated 12 seconds apart from each other in the crowds of on-lookers cheering for the runners. Those people would never be the same as they soon found themselves fighting for life and limb.
The first responders were awesome - legendary even. You can watch them in action as they were reenacted with Mark Wahlberg in the movie "Patriots Day". It will give you a sense of how disorienting and overwhelming it is to experience such a disturbing and distressing event. And even in that circumstance, to gather ones' senses and take proper action to save lives.
Three innocent people died as a result of bomb-induced injuries - only three, considering how many people were injured severely. The physical trauma was horrific. Many of the survivors were forced to experience limb amputations and major reconstructive surgery as a result of their brutal injuries.
How was the survival rate so high? Let's take a look at one major factor: tourniquet use.
NCBI/PubMed did a study looking at the onsite response work provided by professional first responders AND civilians standing by who rushed to the victims' aid. According to this study: "In total, 27 tourniquets were applied: 16 of 17 traumatic amputations, 5 of 12 lower extremities with major vascular injuries, and 6 additional limbs with major soft tissue injury. All tourniquets were improvised, and no commercial, purpose-designed tourniquets were identified."
Because the EMTs and volunteers knew how to act quickly and use effective techniques, lives were saved, and the victims can live on to see their children and grandchildren grow up, and live happy, successful lives. We can certainly thank those responders who used tourniquets for that.
What exactly is a tourniquet? It's a device that arrests bleeding or blood flow by compressing blood vessels adjacent to a limb injury. The tourniquet restricts the blood flow so the victim doesn't bleed out on the scene, and buys valuable time to transport the victim or wait for more advanced medical care. You've probably seen them used on tv or in a movie. Most recently (June 2018), a lady was saved on a New Jersey beach when a run-away beach umbrella impaled her leg. Two responders (who happened to be medically trained) used a tourniquet to contain the bleeding until emergency medical services could respond.
In the recent decade, use of tourniquets has been questioned due to ineffectiveness or improper use resulting in nerve and/or muscular damage. I.E. grabbing a rope or belt and strapping it around someone's bleeding arm may not work, it may not stop the bleeding, or may do more harm than good. And it's true! But don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Proper material, design, and placement of a tourniquet on a straight length of bone at the appropriate distance above a wound will stop the bleeding. And stopping the bleeding buys you more time and opportunity to save a life.
Because you are able to stop the bleeding, you’ll be freed up to help yourself or other victims. And you’ll have options to call for help, direct an ambulance/helicopter to the victim, potentially transport the victim to a safe(r) place, or respond to any other threats or risks.
This is a technique used all the time on the front lines, where sudden explosions, gunshots and other wounds occur regularly. And although most of us will never be in a battlefield situation, similar wounds can easily happen here at home in an automobile collision, tool/equipment mishap, animal attack or a serious cut or impalement. This stuff happens every day.
Imagine you are the first to arrive at a school bus accident. How valuable is it that you could help more than one person quickly?
Ultimately the study suggested that those tourniquet techniques used in the battlefield:(tourniquet use as a treatment) “should be translated to all civilian first responders in the United States and should mirror the military's posture toward extremity bleeding control.”
Preparation and training are the ONLY things that will allow you to keep a clear head and take the right actions. In our course, we will help you quickly make the correct responsive decisions during the high stress of an accident/injury/attack scenario.
Sign up for our next course on November 17th. Bring a friend, family member or other loved one who could also benefit from this course.
Course topics will include the following:
- History of tactical combat care
• Causes of field mortality
• Zones of care
• Survival Mindset
• Trauma Assessment
• Terminal Ballistics
• Hemorrhage control with an emphasis on tourniquet use
• Basic airway management
• Patient evacuation
• Transferring care to Police/EMS
• Creating and using an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)
North Harford Firearms Training is proud to be a member of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) as well as a Recognized Educational Partner of the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC).
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25710432https://6abc.com/london-woman-impaled-by-beach-umbrella-at-jersey-shore/3775379/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25710432
