First time edc looking for advice

[OldBroad44]

The idea isn't applying it to the guy you shot - its to save the life of an innocent who got shot, or maybe yourself. You probably won't be administering it to yourself - but a bystander could.

Yes, of course. @1775usmc and I are talking about something else unstated. Namely, these days cops who have shot an attacking bad guy ARE expected to render first aid to bad guy if he has been stopped but is still surviving. 1775usmc says he wouldn't do that. And I agree that neither would I.

If I were conscious and the injured party I would certainly try to use tourniquet on myself. Or instruct a bystander to use it on me.

 

[OldBroad44]

Do you have your minimal first aid training up to date?

I used my own modification of the Heimlich Maneuver once. Since Ive never seen anything like my variant, I'll describe now to pass along. The guy who was choking was about 6' 4" and very big around and overweight. Probably about 300 lbs. It was in his living/dining room. Dinnertime. I was the only one there beside the victim. I was 5' 9" and slender, about 140 lbs. It was instantly obvious that my height and arm length weren't going to give me the right angle or much leverage on such a tall big around guy.

There was a sofa with arm rests. I immediately ordered victim to lie face down on the sofa with his head and chest over the arm rest and down below the level of the rest of his body, with the arm rest positioned so it hit his body just below the ribs, the area to which I needed to apply pressure. Then I told him to try to cough up the food when I said "one two three PUSH". And on the PUSH as he tried to cough up food, I put my hands on his back and put much of my weight on his back so as to drive sofa arm rest into area under his ribs. On the third repeat of the countdown and press the chunk of food ejected, and his face suddenly turned from reddish blue to normal. A few minutes later he was back to normal.

I had seen and examined diagrams of the Heimlich Maneuver when it came out. However, the diagrams were always of the two people either being adults about the same size, or the victim being a child. Not with the victim being much taller and so big around compared with the rescuer. My variant had two other advantages. It positioned the victims body so that gravity would help eject the food. In addition, the countdown allowed the victim to help with his own lung muscles to the extent he could.

 

[solv3nt]

I used my own modification of the Heimlich Maneuver once. Since Ive never seen anything like my variant, I'll describe now to pass along. The guy who was choking was about 6' 4" and very big around and overweight. Probably about 300 lbs. It was in his living/dining room. Dinnertime. I was the only one there beside the victim. I was 5' 9" and slender, about 140 lbs. It was instantly obvious that my height and arm length weren't going to give me the right angle or much leverage on such a tall big around guy.

There was a sofa with arm rests. I immediately ordered victim to lie face down on the sofa with his head and chest over the arm rest and down below the level of the rest of his body, with the arm rest positioned so it hit his body just below the ribs, the area to which I needed to apply pressure. Then I told him to try to cough up the food when I said "one two three PUSH". And on the PUSH as he tried to cough up food, I put my hands on his back and put much of my weight on his back so as to drive sofa arm rest into area under his ribs. On the third repeat of the countdown and press the chunk of food ejected, and his face suddenly turned from reddish blue to normal. A few minutes later he was back to normal.

I had seen and examined diagrams of the Heimlich Maneuver when it came out. However, the diagrams were always of the two people either being adults about the same size, or the victim being a child. Not with the victim being much taller and so big around compared with the rescuer. My variant had two other advantages. It positioned the victims body so that gravity would help eject the food. In addition, the countdown allowed the victim to help with his own lung muscles to the extent he could.

They didn't teach this the last time I got mine updated two years ago, they instead taught to go straight to CPR for an unconscious victim. The way I was taught 20+ years ago for an unconscious victim was to place them on the ground on their back and straddle them from below and push upwards on their diaphragm.

Once again, I believe this to be outdated and replaced with straight CPR if your victim is unconscious.

 

[OldBroad44]

They didn't teach this the last time I got mine updated two years ago, they instead taught to go straight to CPR for an unconscious victim. Three east I was taught 20+ years ago for an unconscious victim was to place them on the ground on their back and straddle them from below and push upwards on their diaphragm.

Once again, I believe this to be outdated and replaced with straight CPR if your victim is unconscious.

My victim was conscious. And his air was mostly but not entirely blocked. He was getting a little air but turning redder/bluer rapidly.

Presumably they taught you to start with CPR for an unconscious victim whose heart was stopped. Not for every unconscious victim. No point to wasting time trying to restart a heart that's beating. Even if heart had stopped because of a windpipe block, unblocking windpipe achieves nothing if heart has stopped, as no blood would pick up oxygen from lungs or move it to the brain or anywhere else. So getting heart going would be the first priority. But as I said, my victim was conscious and his heart was beating.

Turning my victim on his back and pushing up in diaphragm area might have worked and I considered that at the time, though I hadn't seen anything about that. But that position requires food to come up against gravity more than face down position. And much more than face down with trunk and windpipe aimed steeply down the whole way. So I think what I did was better in my particular situation. But one does not always have a sofa with armrests handy. And it depended on victim being conscious, as there is no way I could have lifted him to the sofa.

 

[Flopsweat]

My victim was conscious. And his air was mostly but not entirely blocked. He was getting a little air but turning redder/bluer rapidly.

Presumably they taught you to start with CPR for an unconscious victim whose heart was stopped. Not for every unconscious victim. No point to wasting time trying to restart a heart that's beating. Even if heart had stopped because of a windpipe block, unblocking windpipe achieves nothing if heart has stopped, as no blood would pick up oxygen from lungs or move it to the brain or anywhere else. So getting heart going would be the first priority. But as I said, my victim was conscious and his heart was beating.

Turning my victim on his back and pushing up in diaphragm area might have worked and I considered that at the time, though I hadn't seen anything about that. But that position requires food to come up against gravity more than face down position. And much more than face down with trunk and windpipe aimed steeply down the whole way. So I think what I did was better in my particular situation. But one does not always have a sofa with armrests handy. And it depended on victim being conscious, as there is no way I could have lifted him to the sofa.

I think your idea was much better. I had food caught in my windpipe once and managed to clear it by coughing as hard as I could. On about the third attempt I got it to the back of my mouth. I inhaled involuntarily as soon as soon as the airway was clear, which sucked the food partway back into my throat. Fortunately it wasn't as far down this time and I was able to clear it completely the next try. I hope there's no next time but if there is I'm going to have my face below my windpipe.

 

[dangerranger60]

CPR is pretty straight forward….. I also was taught a decent amount of medical while in the Marines. I don't live in complacency and justify not doing things because the probability of it happening is low. If that is the case I wouldn't carry a gun, a knife, a tourniquet, or an IFAk in my rig. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance. We don't have to all be the same. But I am my own first response. I take it seriously.

In 60+ years I have never seen a tourniquet used! I don't know anyone who has needed one off the battle field. My son who is a firefighter EMT has never used one! I'm not using up pocket space to carry one around all day every day! It's just un needed gear for me. However in the unlikely even I ever did need one I have a belt! DR

 

[Member 53328]

In 60+ years I have never seen a tourniquet used! I don't know anyone who has needed one off the battle field. My son who is a firefighter EMT has never used one! I'm not using up pocket space to carry one around all day every day! It's just un needed gear for me. However in the unlikely even I ever did need one I have a belt! DR

Ok. I never said you had to carry one…. Our experiences are different. Mine dictates a need/want to have one. Enough so to "take up pocket space." Like I said earlier I plan for the unexpected as much as I possibly can. Whether it be shooting or a car crash. It's no burden to me. I don't even notice the TQ in my pocket anymore. It belongs there now.

With that being said I hope I am never put in a position where I have to use my TQ or my firearm. Although being put in a medical situation is much more likely than a use of deadly force scenario. But I will train and do my best to be ready for either.