Knife wound

[Joeducktape]

What will happen if I slash a deep, 3 in. cut through someone's side? What do I need to do to treat it? How quickly do I need to treat it?

[Snoink]

Be more specific than "side"...

[Joeducktape]

Um... the right side, a little bit above belly button level?

[Snoink]

So I guess you're dealing with a stomach wound...?

[backgroundbob]

Nah, that'd have to be very deep indeed; there's a fair bit of muscle and tissue between your stomach and the outside world.

That kind of gash would likely be extremely painful, but not life-threatening: the only real problem would come from loss of blood, and that would be happening pretty quickly. So, close it up and bind it, and they should be able to function. It'll hurt, though.

[fishr]

Unless of course the blade connected into nerves, which I guess could be a possibility, but there is decent amount of tissue before the object connects into vital organs. What if the blade was dull or rusted though? Owie! But if the blade is dull in your story, it'll have a tough time ripping through anything.

If I was watching someone suffer from a gut wound, and they were bleeding profusely (or just bleeding enough), first order of business, that that's applying pressure against the wound, and consoling the person. Remember, some people don't cope well with a drop of blood, and now they've just felt a knife pierce into their stomach. So, the very least, you need to try somehow and console them so panic doesn't set in with your patient. Panic is an ugly emotion, and it can be dangerous for the person, and people invovled since the victim can't cope, and ANYTHING could happen. For example, your patient (or victim)'s heart might start exellerating an unnatural rate, like more than just being 'out of breath.'

Now, consoling... Easier said then done but if the person allowed me to step near their body I would quickly rip off slices of my shirt. One would be very thick for the wound, the other would be used as a blindfold. Let's face it, if you can't see, then it helps to stop fright. Remind your patient all the horrible injuries you've had and tell them 'you've been through a lot worse, and you'll be fine.' Or 'You're strong. Hell, remember that one time...?' One of the best things you can do, is encourage your patient by reminding them how tough or strong they are. It builds self confidence and by reminding them about your own injuries; it helps to relieve tension, even if it's relieving some, it is progress. Also, if the patient is breathing heavy, chances are they're heart is pumping more; this is bad. The more the heart pumps, the more the blood will dispurse. Keep them as calm as possible.

Lay them on the ground, with their head propped up. The last thing you want is to have your patient collaspe while standing. Hopefully, they won't fall unconcious though.

Keep them hydrated. If you have water, offer it to them as much as they're willing to drink. Mild dehydration can cause headaches.

That's all I can think of at the moment, and maybe I went a tad overboard by treating the wound as it was life threatning but a gut would could be a nasty business, 'pending on how sharp the blade was.

Hope that helps. I might think of more later.

[Joeducktape]

Thanks, fishr, that was great!

Okay, here's my scenario: Girl is attacked and injured. Wound is left untreated for maybe fifteen minutes while she has to move around quite a bit (sounds reeeally painful). After that amount of time, she passes out (from shock, not blood loss).

Another person sees her pass out, and wraps the wound.

Question: If a person were to be carried on foot with such an injury, and possibly on unsteady terrain, would the pain wake them up?

Also: Would you need to change the wrapping? If so, how soon after the first?

[Snoink]

Hehe! Is she thin?

[Joeducktape]

A little on the thin side.

[sabradan]

Well, if she goes untreated for 15 minutes, I doubt she'd live from loss of blood. Remember: your blood pumps FAST, especially under stressful situations, so if your in a "fight or flight" situation and cut a deep cut, you will lose a LOT of blood, in a very small space of time.

[Snoink]

Well... it doesn't really sound like a slash. It sounds like a stab. I took my ruler and looked at how deep three inches were. If I suck in my gut, that means that it's a third in my body. So... that's pretty deep. Probably not going to be a slash, since it's hard to slash through bodies.

Next, you have some huge problems about organs and the like. If you hit them, then there's going to be a lot of blood everywhere. With such a cut so deep, I would reckon that there would be not really any option, unless you're in Firefly and Simon has come to save you! Er... or in a sci fi with advanced medical technology.

Otherwise...

You might want to scale back the wound so it's not as fatal. If you want the character to live, in any case.

[Sam]

Or if the knife were left in the flesh, there'd be minimal bleeding.

[Snoink]

True, but it's a slash, so she can't really keep the bleeding to a minimum.

[fishr]

I'm back, and you're welcome.

About the situation, it to me sounds like a stab, so I'll treat it as such.

Okay, here's my scenario: Girl is attacked and injured. Wound is left untreated for maybe fifteen minutes while she has to move around quite a bit (sounds reeeally painful). After that amount of time, she passes out (from shock, not blood loss).

Honestly, this is a highly unrealistic situation, not because of shock but no person could survive a three inch gut wound for fifteen minutes, untreated. The loss of blood would be so immense that it's very likely she would fall unconscious because of that; no energy. Think of it this way. Ever donate or know someone that donated pints of blood? My dad, along with friends have always told me they feel slightly lightheaded. This is because a decent portion was taken, and now your body is trying to rebuild blood cells.

Second, and this is only an opinion. Many people have different levels of 'mental toughness' so it's possible, but I think with a three in stab wound, it's also unlikely the person will walk about. If it were me, I'd be screaming my head off because of the pain, and just the sheer surprise and shock of it all. I just had a knife rip deeply into my stomach!

Another person sees her pass out, and wraps the wound.

Question: If a person were to be carried on foot with such an injury, and possibly on unsteady terrain, would the pain wake them up?

Well, to answer the question, it really depends on the person but yes, I'd say they would stir. The person would probably be ninety percent unaware of what's happening to them, but the ten percent of their unconscious mind would probably react in some form.

Now, my opinion again. If it were me, the VERY LAST thing I would do it move the patient/victim. There's many reasons for this decision. The major one is if they move, their heart is going to pump faster, thus more blood will leak through. Second, if you're moving your patient along, this uses needed energy, and not to mention very painful for the person. I could predict the victim would be hunched, clenching their stomach. Owie! Also, in a hunched position for long periods puts stress and unneeded weight on the heart. Speaking of stress though, that brings me to my next point. If the patient is walking and they're in obvious discomfort, physical pain can cause stress. Stress is an ugly symptom too because it will lower the immune system. Depending where exactly the setting and time frame of the story, a weakened immune system means that person could also be susceptible to viruses. Although, a weakened immune system due to stress may not apply to the story itself but it is certainly a fact that should be filed in the back of your mind.

Overall, never, ever move a person unless it's an absolute emergency, and forcing them to walk is an absolute last result.

Also: Would you need to change the wrapping? If so, how soon after the first?

Trying to remember, but if I'm correct, it would not be changed in the way you might be thinking. Eventually the dressing will 'get old' because the blood has leaked through, and blood is a heavy liquid. I suggest instead of removing the dressing (bandage(s)), apply a clean (or better yet, a sterile bandage if possible) on top of the soiled one. Keep piling until the blood doesn't leak through anymore. This means there's enough pressure so the blood can't penetrate through (yet). The main reason for not removing the layer(s) of the dressing is because blood is kind-of 'sticky' and therefore the dressing could be a bit firm against their stomach. Pulling the soiled dressing would probably cause minor pain and discomfort, and your top priority (besides stopping the flow) is keeping them comfortable and under control. Second, if you just went ahead and removed the soiled dressing instead of packing new layers on top, their blood more than likely would just pour freely. Thus a whole new dilemma. The reason the blood would pour more freely is because you just pulled off the bandage, thus removing the pressure that was originally halting the blood flow.

I don't remember a whole lot on pressure points because it has been awhile but I would recommend at least researching them. Knowing where pressure points are is like eating chocolate. By applying additional pressure on a pressure point, it will also halt blood flow, and hopefully not as much blood will leak from the wound. However, keep in mind, using a pressure point can't go unnoticed. Remember, you're stopping even more blood by using 'a point' and lack of blood that is denied to travel through the body can cause a whole slew of additional problems along with the wound. If a pressure point was used, I'd suggest to relieve pressure, say every 15-30 minutes so what blood is left can circulate through the patient's body, and then wait another 20-30 minutes ('pending how severe the blood loss is still) before using the pressure point. I guess I should also mention before I forget, only one pressure point should be used too. As I said, you're restricting more blood flow.

Just so you know, while some is opinionated, the majority is basic First Aid I learned. In high school, I took a First Aid and CPR course. I took the test twice. The first, I was off by one point, and the second; two points off from be certified. So, even though that was five years ago I still remember some. Of course, if I'm wrong with anything I said, by all means, someone can correct me. I love to learn. I just wanted to explain where my information was coming from, besides the obvious - memory.

Hope that helps you out further, Joe, and uh... I apologize for the longish post.

[Joeducktape]

Impressive! By the way, I didn't mean 3 inches deep, I meant 3 inches long. Sorry!

See, this is why I have you guys! I knew there was a reason.