Regarding the Taiwanese vet who had his arm bitten off by a crocodile, I read a followup story, and at the end of the piece they listed these instructions on how to save a severed limb.
To the rescue
How to save a severed limb:
1: Wrap the severed limb in clingfilm or put it in a polythene bag
2: Wrap this again in something soft such as a tea towel. Then place in another plastic bag, filled with crushed ice.
3: Note time of the injury and casualty’s name and label the bag
4: Artery forceps are applied to stem bleeding and pad and bandage pressure dressing is used against the wound to control haemorrhage
5: Chances of survival for extremities and digits is 70-80 per cent. If the severed limb can be salvaged, surgeons will carry out limb replantation surgery where it is attached back to the body. If the limb is dead only a prosthetic can be attached
Great advice---if the person lost their limb in a kitchen!!!
I guess I'll start carrying clingfilm around with me, just in case.
A tea towel? The article was out of the UK. How about a golf towel, I wonder if that would work.
I wonder if they'd be okay with marking the time and name right on the severed appendage with a magic marker.
I also wonder, does Wal-mart sell artery forceps, I'll carry those around with the clingwrap.
More than likely, the situation is going to be such that in the pandemonium of someone losing a limb, just remembering to grab it and wrap in your sweaty t-shirt should suffice.
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4 comments:
Ahh! Here's why I get my daily Far Wright!
What if you can't get your severed limb because IT'S IN THE STOMACH OF A CROCODILE!? Do you go in like Tommy Lee Jones (Agent K) in "Men in Black": "I love that gun/arm."?
No, what you need to do is rub his belly until he falls asleep. Then, very carefully, reach your entire arm, right up to the shoulders, down into its stomach and pull it out. If he wakes up, have someone else repeat the process. Do this until the limbs (whatever the number) are all retrieved. Then pack them in a bag with ice.
But which end do you work from?
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