Thursday, November 12, 2009

Self-Aid Buddy Care

SABC NOTES

Courtesy of C/Bartlett and C/Maclean, posted with permission


Casualty Care in a CBRN Contaminated Environment

  • perform SABC measures
  • inject antidote if nerve agent symptoms are present **be sure to use casualty’s auto-injectors, not yours!
  • Report casualty to UCC to not transmit personal information over unsecure net
  • Decontaminate casualty and their equipment with M295 or M291 kits
  • Transport casualty to CCP unit

Basic Lifesaving Steps

Airway – establish an open airway

Breathing – ensure

Circulation - stop bleeding to support circulation

Disability – prevent further

    1. immobilize neck injuries
    2. place dressings over open wounds
    3. splint obvious limb deformities

Exposure – minimize further to adverse weather


Types of Ailments

Shock

Symptoms

    1. confusion
    2. sweaty but cool skin
    3. breathing is shallow, labored, and rapid
    4. weak and rapid pulse

Treatment

  • keep airway open
  • if unconscious place on side in recovery position and monitor airway
  • keep the person calm, warm, and comfortable
  • elevate lower extremities
  • do not give food or drink

Abdominal Wounds

Treatment

  • if organs are outside body gently pick them up and place them on top of the abdomen – Do not replace or push organs into the body cavity
  • cover exposed organs with a moist clean dressing
  • secure with bandages
  • if legs are not fractured, bend knees to relieve pressure

Bleeding

Symptom – obvious external bleeding

Convential Treatment

  1. apply direct pressure with hand, use dressing if available
  2. elevate the extremity if no fractures are suspected
  3. use pressure points iwht elevation to control bleeding
  4. tourniquet as a last result to stop bleeding. – use to save life at possible loss of limb
  5. consider using QuikClot if available

Care Under Fire

  1. return fire as directed or required before providing medical treatment
  2. if the casualty can function, direct to return fire, move to cover, and administer self aid
  3. if casualty is unable to function and you cannot assist, tell casualty to play dead until enemy fire is suppressed
  4. if the casualty has life threatening bleeding from a limb, tourniquet first to the limb or amputation – if bleeding is in a location where a tourniquet cannot be applied (armpit or groin) consider QuikClot in conjunction with direct pressure
How To Apply a Tourniquet
  1. Place one inch wide constricting band around arm or leg to stop severe bleeding
  2. DO NOT USE WIRE OR SHOE STRING
  3. Place band two to four inches above injury if possible
  4. Tighten band enough to stop bleeding and no more
  5. Once in place, do not loosen or remove
  6. Leave Tourniquet area exposed for quick visual reference
  7. Mark time and letter “T” on casualties forehead in ink or blood
  8. DO NOT REMOVE Tourniquet ONCE APPLIED

Eye Injury

Symptom – obvious pain or injury

Treatment

  • do not remove any impaled objects
  • dress around the object to secure it
  • apply bandage lightly to both eyes
  • DO NOT LEAVE CASUALTY UNATTENDED

COMMON INJURIES

Sucking Chest Wound

Symptoms

    1. sucking noise from chest
    2. frothy red blood
    3. difficulty breathing

Treatment

  • look for an entry and exit wound
  • cover holes with airtight seal (plastic, tin foil, id card)
  • tape down all four side of seal
  • allow casualty to assume position of easiest breathing, preferably on affected side

Fractures

Symptoms

  1. deformity, bruising
  2. tenderness over specific part of body
  3. swelling or discoloration

Treatment

  • DO NOT STRAIGHTEN LIMB
  • if in doubt, splint injury where they lie if possible
  • splint joints above and below injury
  • remove clothing from injured area
  • remove rings from fingers if possible
  • check pulse below injury away from heart to determine if blood flow is restricted by splint

Spinal/Neck/Head Injury

Symptoms - lack of feeling or control anywhere below neck, drainage of fluid or blood from ear, nose, or mouth

Treatment

  • if conscious caution casualty not to move
  • continuously monitor and check airway without turning head
  • immobilize the head and neck

    If casualty must be moved…

  • use hard surface for stretcher (door, cut lumber, other)
  • use as many people as needed to place casualty on stretcher
  • one person must immobilize the head and neck
  • be sure casualties limbs are secure at the chest and thigh regions
  • turn whole body together as a unit

Combating Heat Illness and Cold Injury

DehydrationHeat ExhaustionHeat Stroke
Key Indicators
Mental StateConscious

may be dizzy

Conscious

may be dizzy

Sudden Collapse

Unusual behavior

Altered state of mind

Body TemperatureNormalNormalHot

Elevated

ActionSit down in shade/cool area

Provide water

Observe

Sit down in shade/cool area

Provide water

Observe

Call 911 immediately

SABC

Cool victim

Other SymptomsHeadache

Dry mouth

Loss of skin Turgor (remains elevated when pinched)

Weakness

Headache

Dry mouth

Nausea

Muscle cramps/spasms

Red Face/Skin

Strong rapid pulse

Wet or dry skin

Most likely sweating in younger individuals


Dehydration

Symptoms

  1. Dizzy
  2. Headache
  3. Dry mouth
  4. Loss of skin Turgor (remains elevated when pinched)

Treatment – provide water

Heat Exhaustion

Early Symptoms

  1. dizziness/weakness
  2. headache
  3. dry mouth
  4. nausea
  5. muscle cramps/spasms
  6. profuse sweating
  7. loss of salt in the body
  8. normal body temperature

Treatment

  • remove from work or training
  • allow casualty to rest in shade or cool area
  • provide sips of water
  • if symptoms to do not improve in 15 to 30 minutes, transfer to a medical facility
  • if signs or symptoms worsen, call ambulance

Late Signs or Symptoms

  1. weak and or rapid pulse
  2. confusion, unresponsive, or coma
  3. loss of bowel or bladder control
  4. convulsions
  5. cramps in abdomen or limbs
  6. pale face
  7. dizziness/faintness/weakness
  8. nausea or vomiting
  9. profuse sweating or moist cool skin
  10. normal body temperature

Treatment

  • treat for shock
  • lay person down in cool area
  • loosen/open clothing
  • cool body by sprinkling with cool water or fanning (not to the point of shivering)
  • give victim cool water to drink if conscious
  • seek medical attention

Heat Stroke

Symptoms

  1. headache
  2. dizziness
  3. red face/skin
  4. strong, rapid pulse
  5. confusion and disorientation
  6. hot dry skin or sweating
  7. high body temperature (hot to touch)

Immediate Actions

  • call 911/local emergency number or radio for ambulance immediately for transport to the medical treatment area
  • during combat, transport victim to CCP via unit assets
  • lay person down in shade or cool area with feet elevated until help arrives
  • give sips of water if casualty is conscious
  • if skin is hot and ry to touch, remove clothing – pour water over person and fan
  • if casualty begins to shiver, stop fanning, if shivering stops, resume fanning

Treatment

  • lay person in cool area
  • loosen/open clothing
  • cool body by sprinkling with cool water or fanning
  • give cool water to drink if conscious, add two teaspoons of salt to one canteen if available
  • seek immediate medical attention
  • treat for shock

HEAT INJURIES

Burns

  • burns may be from heat (thermal), electrical, chemical, or radiation. Treatment is based on depth, size, and severity (termed degree) of burn
  • ALWAYS TREAT FOR SHOCK AND SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE

Thermal / Partial Thickness (First and Second Degree)

Symptoms – skin reddens (sun burn like), painful, blisters

Treatment

  • stop the burning process
  • apply cool water to affected area
  • do not break blisters
  • apply clean dressing to affected area

Thermal/Full Thickness (Third Degree)

Symptoms

  1. charred or whitish looking skin
  2. may burn clear to the bone
  3. burn area not painful, but area around burn very painful

Treatment

  • stop the burning process
  • do not remove clothing adhered to burn area
  • cover with or apply clean dressing to affected area

Electrical Burns

  • ensure power is off
  • look for entry and exit wound
  • treat burned area

Chemical Burns

  • flush with large amount of water
  • flush eyes for at least 20 minutes
  • brush off visible contaminants
  • keep phosphorous burns covered with a wet dressing to keep air from activating phosphorous
  • fingers have a tendency to swell, ensure that rings and jewelry are remove immediately


COLD INJURIES

Hypothermia

Symptoms

  1. body is cold under clothing
  2. may appear confused
  3. may appear dead

Treatment

  • move to a warm place
  • remove wet clothing
  • put on warm clothes or wrap with dry towel
  • do not rub body parts
  • do not give or consume alcohol

Frostbite

Symptoms

  1. skin has a white or waxy appearance
  2. skin feels hard to touch

Treatment

  • move to warm place
  • re-warm affected area with warm water (104 to 108 degrees fareinheit) for fifteen to thirty minutes (not hot water)
  • cover with several layers of clothing
  • do not rub affected area
  • seek medical attention immediately

Monday, November 2, 2009

Alpha Authority

Alpha Authority Flight Cheer

(All together)

A! A little bit louder
L! Listen to us
P! Proud we are
H! Have respect for
A! AUTHORITAY!

Bravo Bombers

Bravo Bombers Flight Cheer
Courtesy of C/Nelson, posted with permission

Leader: We are Bravo Flight
Group: (repeats)
L: Born and raised ready to fight
G: (repeats)
L: We fly low, we fly high
G: (repeats)
L: We drop bombs from the sky
G: (repeats)
L: Bravo Bombers let me hear you
G: (repeats)
L: Say boom
G: BOOM
L: Bravo Bombers get it loud
G: (repeats)
L: Drown out that Alpha crowd
G: (repeats)
L: Say boom
G: Boom
L: One more time, boom
G: BOOM