Gunshot injuries can be regarded as the most painful, traumatic and extremely dangerous type of injury one can ever suffer. Not only is it difficult and confusing to figure out the extent and severity of the damage, most gunshot injuries turns out to be so fatal and sometimes surpasses the capabilities of a first aid treatment. But the idea is that the time and actions taken by the victim and the people around him or her has a lot to do with the victims survival. The knowledge of First aid treatments in this case is very important so as to keep the victim in a stable condition before he/she is taken to the hospital.
What most people call the bullet isn't the bullet but the casing, the bullet is the projectile which flies out to hit the intended target; it is propelled by the explosion of the chemicals inside. while the cartridge is the correct name when referring to the whole. A modern cartridge consists of the following:
1. The bullet, as the projectile; lies on the superior part of the cartridge, help on its inferior margin by the case.
2. The case, which encloses all parts together;
3. The propellant, i.e the chemicals that its reaction will provide the explosion that will send the bullet flying.
4. The rim, which provides the extractor on the firearm a place to grip the casing to remove it from the chamber once fired;
5. The primer, which ignites the propellant.
The pointed apex of the bullet flies our with its high velocity and when it finds its resting place, maybe someones body it will go a long way to tear through the flesh, muscles and bones. For the treatment of any gunshot injury to be successful several factors has to be considered: Factors like the part of the body on which the bullet penetrated.
- The rate at which a bullet that found its rest inside a major blood vessel will bleed, would be different from how a bullet that penetrates a region where no blood vessel is located.
- The Dept of the penetration,
- The structures that has being affected and damaged.
- The type of bullet.
To administer first aid treatment to a gunshot victim you need to be knowledgeable, fast thinker, someone that is not easily carried away by the fear of traumatic events and more especially blood, because you will see lots of them. He/she must be able to look into the victims eyes and read the victims condition and pain. If the victim is conscious, you have to develop the soft heart to be able to persuade the victim that everything is okay and that he/she is not dying. So the following are the procedures by which you can administer first aid treatment to a gunshot victim.
- Stay Safe. If you are not the victim, try to take cover some where safe and peruse the environment for further danger, a rescuer is of no use if he too gets hurt. Take precautions like, making sure every bodies arm is in safe mode if the victim was shot during a team hunt or something like that. If it is a crime scene, make sure that the shooter is no more around before you make any move towards the victim.
- Send A Call For The Ambulance:
Surviving a gunshot wound depends greatly on how quickly a victim gets to a hospital. The first aid is just to stabilize the injury and reduce the rate of bleeding which is the major thing that kills people from gunshot injuries. Ideally, a gunshot wound victim should be on the way to a hospital in an ambulance within 10 minutes of being shot. Make sure to tell the emergency call consultant the condition of the victim and all the information she needs to hear.
- Do not move the victim unless his or her safety is in jeopardy. Move the person only when it is very necessary.
- Make sure the victim's airways is free. If the victim is unconscious but breathing, keep the airway open and clear. But if the victim is not breathing at all, engage him/her in a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (C.P.R) it is an emergency procedure performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest.
- Control bleeding:
Based on the dept of the bullet penetration, blood vessels damaged and organs the bullet came in contact with, there must be bleeding, most times severe. Remember when stated above that the rescuer is going to see a lot of blood. The blood that have being confined into tubes all day will ooze out hot and happy. The first aid you have to consider most paramount in such a condition is how to control bleeding and this is how: The blood needs to clot for the healing process to start, this is because, just like ice wont form soonest in the middle of a rapid flowing river, the blood wont clot quick in the midst of blood flowing rapidly continuously from the interior.
Applying direct pressure is the best way to control bleeding in most injuries. Use a pad over the wound and apply pressure directly to the injury. If you have nothing available, even your hand or fingers can be used to control bleeding. Add new bandages over the old; do not remove bandages when they become soaked. Use pressure points in the arm (between the elbow and armpit), groin (along the bikini line), or behind the knee to control bleeding in the arm, thigh, or lower leg, respectively.
Gunshot injuries around the neck of face can be very dangerous more than any other part of the body. These wounds typically bleed severely. Use direct pressure to control bleeding and keep the victim upright. Be careful not to obstruct breathing while controlling bleeding. With injuries to the neck, be careful that blood flow to the carotid arteries (arteries that carry blood up into the head) isn't disrupted, as this can reduce blood flow to the brain.The brain cant survive for long without blood supply.
Gunshot injuries to the chest and back is another fatal and difficult to treat injury. The ribs are there to hinder your actions. Just apply direct pressure to control bleeding; understand that it may be difficult to control chest bleeding because the ribs make it difficult to compress the structures that are bleeding. Gunshots to the chest can cause what is known as a "sucking chest wound." These happen when air travels in and out of the wound with each breath. Treat these as follows:
- Seal wound with hand or airtight material (e.g., plastic film).
- Apply an airtight bandage on three sides of the wound (see image below). Do not close the bandage on the fourth side. This will allow the chest to achieve its usual negative pressure state. Air will escape through the valve during inhalation.
- Treat Shock:
The victims should experience shock which resulted from blood loss and reduced blood flow throughout the body. Try as much as you can to stabilize the victims temperature by using something to cover the body if his skin is feeling so cold, but fan him steadily if the body is burning real hot while you wait for the ambulance.
More Tips You Should Know About:
- Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink, including water.Seal gunshot wounds to the chest with some type of plastic to keep air from being sucked into the wound. This helps prevent the development of a collapsed lung. If the victim begins complaining of worsening shortness of breath, remove the seal.
- Let conscious victims sit or lie in a position most comfortable for them.
- Unconscious victims should be placed in the recovery position.
- Do not elevate legs to treat for shock if the gunshot wound is above the waist (unless the gunshot wound is in the arm). Gunshot wounds to the abdomen and chest will bleed more quickly once the legs are elevated, making it harder for the victim to breathe.
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