Bad day at the dump today.

**aflineman** · 02-04-2011, 07:47 PM

I just returned from the dump. While I was there, an older gentleman slipped and went down hard. Smashed his forehead hard and it was bleeding profusely. He was unresponsive, but breathing and good pulse. I was in my MIL’s Van, so had no first-aid supplies at all (soon to be rectified). I had my wife get me some pads out of her purse and used them as everyone standing around did not really know what to do. His wife got on the phone to 911 and was very calm and collected throughout. I kept pressure on the wound and kept his neck steady. He remained unresponsive, but breathing and good pulse. Blood slowed, but never did really stop. Seemed to take the ambulance an eternity to get there. Paramedics kind of laughed about the pads, but said they are seeing them more and more, plus they work. I kept his neck steadied, helped with the c-collar, and we got him on the backboard. After that, they had him and I stepped away. I told the paramedic that I was going to step away, throw-up, and then pass out, but that I would be fine. I walked away, sat against a dumpster, and proceeded to just that. My Wife (who knows me very well) had to keep the bystanders from freaking-out over me. I can’t stand the sight of blood, and after an event I just go where I won’t be a bother and get it out of my system. Still kind of shaken, but I will be fine. Thank God for all of my training. I can go into the zone and get the job at hand done, After the adrenaline goes and the situation is over, then I can fall apart. No way could I do it as a job anymore. I am still shaking a half hour later.

**2dumb2kwit** · 02-04-2011, 07:54 PM

Good job! ....and quick thinking.

BTW...a friend of mine told me, that when the volunteer EMS started here many years ago, his dad would get pads to keep on the ambulance, when they didn't have money for other bandages. LOL

**Camp10** · 02-04-2011, 07:55 PM

Well done Aflineman! Good thing you were there to help the guy out.

**Justin Case** · 02-04-2011, 08:12 PM

Sounds like a good day at the dump as you probably saved his life ! Well Done !

Rep sent !

**crashdive123** · 02-04-2011, 08:26 PM

Well done AFL.

**your_comforting_company** · 02-04-2011, 09:39 PM

Keeping a cool head in a situation like that is awesome. I, for one, am glad you went to the dump today. Sounds like nobody else there knew what to do to help the guy. Right guy at the right place at the right time. You may very well have saved his life. Way to go!!

**Rick** · 02-04-2011, 09:54 PM

One thing I will say for utility companies, they don't spare on the training. When you are out with the public day in and day out and doing a moderately dangerous job the odds of running into something like that increases a great deal. I'm glad you had the presence of mind to improvise through the situation. Sounds like you did a great job. The poor old guy probably had a concussion and will have a headache for a day or two but might have been much worse without your quick thinking. Good job!! I gave you a little rep just 'cause.

**Sarge47** · 02-04-2011, 10:10 PM

You know how I view 1st aid, 1st aid 1st, everything else later. Not only did you do a good deed, you discovered a need; specifically a 1st aid kit in your vehicle. Rep sent!

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 02-04-2011, 10:12 PM

Fast thinking! My hat is off to you. Most people would not do what you did.

**gryffynklm** · 02-04-2011, 10:22 PM

Glad you were there to take action.

**aflineman** · 02-04-2011, 10:27 PM

Thanks folks. Training is what helped me the most. I have been involved with this type of thing before and every time training is what help me the most. I know I just have to get the job done first. There will be a time to fall apart after. I am just glad my Wife was there to help calm the crowd when I passed-out.
I still have not heard how he is doing. I figure I will walk across the street to the Fire Department in the morning and see if they can tell me anything. I know with patient confidentiality they can't tell me much, but I can ask.

**aflineman** · 02-04-2011, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge47

You know how I view 1st aid, 1st aid 1st, everything else later. Not only did you do a good deed, you discovered a need; specifically a 1st aid kit in your vehicle. Rep sent!

I am proud of my Wife. She was going into town afterward, so she picked up 3 new kits at Costco. I went through the shed and picked out some ammo cans to put them in. Since the weather is warm, I will paint them tomorrow and put one in the Mother-in-Law's Van.

**JPGreco** · 02-04-2011, 11:04 PM

I'm amazed that you were able to do that. The people I know who can't stand the sight of blood wouldn't have done what you did. They would have probably passed out and hit their own head.

Well done

**tipacanoe** · 02-04-2011, 11:37 PM

I don't know if its right or not, but I've always been told if you are using a sanitary pad to try and stop the flow of blood for a injured person, not to swap it with a new one, but to keep the pressure on with the one you are using. Is this right?

**OhioGrizzLapp** · 02-04-2011, 11:50 PM

Kudos and a salute to you Aflineman, more people should care enough like you did. Back when I was in the Navy with my team, we carried pads by preference as the USGI supplied ones were a lil lacking and usually as stiff as dried oatmeal.

**JPGreco** · 02-05-2011, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by tipacanoe

I don't know if its right or not, but I've always been told if you are using a sanitary pad to try and stop the flow of blood for a injured person, not to swap it with a new one, but to keep the pressure on with the one you are using. Is this right?

Yes it is, its the pressure that stops the bleeding, not how clean the bandage is. Also remember, once you open the package, and apply it to his head, its as sanitary as his head was. Ideally, the first thing you would do is pour some purified water on the wound to rinse away contaminents as best as possible and then apply a bandage and pressure.

Worst case, you use anything, even a bare hand, to apply pressure to the wound.

**aflineman** · 02-05-2011, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by tipacanoe

I don't know if its right or not, but I've always been told if you are using a sanitary pad to try and stop the flow of blood for a injured person, not to swap it with a new one, but to keep the pressure on with the one you are using. Is this right?

I this case yes. Another lesson learned also (learned before but forgotten in the rush), do not remove the cover on the adhesive strip. Made it hard to mve my hand without moving the pad. Wife handed them to me that way. Next time she will know better.

**Rick** · 02-05-2011, 01:00 AM

tipacanoe, Once you apply a dressing of any kind to stem blood flow the blood begins to clot against the dressing. If you remove the old dressing them you dislodge the clots that have formed, which starts the bleeding all over again. Instead of removing the dressing, just apply another over the top as you indicated. Let the ER deal with removing them once the patient is in a facility that can deal with it.