# First Aid for bleeding



## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

A concern of mine is bleeding. I have neuropathy and do not feel pain like other people do. I can cut myself badly enough to need stitches and not realize how bad it is until I look at it. 99% of the time I patch myself up and go on with my day. I also have the great pleasure (note sarcasm) of being allergic to adhesives that is found on band-aids and tape. My go to is wound seal and vet wrap when I have an injury. However, I don't have an endless supply of either one. I am hoping someone can give me some advice on other ways to stop the bleeding and patch myself up. I have purchased a medical stapler and a suture kit.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I have compressive neuropathy and while its nice to be able to find numb spots for my biweekly injections I have cut my foot and didn't know it many times. If it's more than direct pressure can take care of you will need someone to do the suturing for you I would guess depending on where the wound is. I can't bend or twist nearly as well as I was once able to so I would have some quick-clot and compression bandages on hand too.


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Nice thread. 

When I was training for physician assistant schooling, I would practice sewing up pig and chicken skin, as well as pork chops, steaks, chickens, frogs and just about anything that had flesh on it. 

I can tie a surgeons knot like a pro now from it.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I have plenty of chickens, so that would be a great way to practice! Just to clarify - after they have been processed not while they are alive. Thanks for the idea. 

CSI I had a tack in my foot one time and didn't notice it until my husband said 'what is on your foot'. We figured out that it had to have been there for at least 3 days.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I think podorozhnik ( or Plantago) grows pretty much everywhere, usually close to natural paths and along roads. In our first aid class when I was a kid at school, we were told that plantago leaves are often used by medics in poor areas to stop bleeding and cover large cuts. Always have string and a knife on you, try to pick cleaner leaves and gently rub them between your hands to release a bit of juice and place them over cuts, use string to keep them in place.

I had to test this once when I fell and ended up with a few small rocks under my skin, which I had to remove with my fingers.. Strangely enough, leaves worked- bleeding stopped and I didn't get an infection, healed fine.
The wound was pretty large but not very deep, I don't know how the leaves will work on larger wounds and if they would work at all in dry form.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Auntie said:


> I have plenty of chickens, so that would be a great way to practice! Just to clarify - after they have been processed not while they are alive. Thanks for the idea.


HAHA, yeah, when they have been processed.

How about superglue or duct tape? When I go to the dr, I ask for the elastic bandages so I don't pull the hair off my arms. Something else to think about is saran wrap with a cotton ball/patch underneath. If you own bees or know of someone that does, propolis has been shown to stop bleeding as well as provide an antimicrobial ability. Just throwing some ideas out there.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

I use a piece of paper towel and masking tape.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

survival said:


> HAHA, yeah, when they have been processed.
> 
> How about superglue or duct tape? When I go to the dr, I ask for the elastic bandages so I don't pull the hair off my arms. Something else to think about is saran wrap with a cotton ball/patch underneath. If you own bees or know of someone that does, propolis has been shown to stop bleeding as well as provide an antimicrobial ability. Just throwing some ideas out there.


Yep, superglue is my go to. Just as long as you're not allergic.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Super glue works great except on areas that bend such as fingers, elbows, knees etc. 

TG I have that in my bee and butterfly garden. I have used it for bruises but didn't know about the clotting aspect. Thanks for the link!

I did have bees however, I sprained my ankle and didn't check on them for a few weeks... I found hornet or wasp nests in the hive and no bees (there were a dozen dead ones) there was no honey either.  I am going to start again in the spring.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

A feminine pad and duct tape. Hey don't laugh or be offended, people are always talking about tampons and bullet wounds.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Septic pencil for the small wounds, Blood clotting pads (like the army uses) for the larger.

Since you often don't feel the pain you'll just need to train yourself to look often and closely. As I woodworker I get bleeding cuts so often I frequently don't notice them until I see the blood drops on the wood. This is why I occasionally say that I put my blood into every project, kinda a selling point for my custom pieces.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

James m said:


> A feminine pad and duct tape. Hey don't laugh or be offended, people are always talking about tampons and bullet wounds.


Yep, I always carry tiny tampons when I backpack, gross sounding to us guys but the tiny ones work great for a nosebleed ect. I've used then more than once and they work well; blood is blood whether it be from a lady's menstrual flow or from a stick that get you in the stomach. They make some no larger than a .50 bullet.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

Haven't read all responses but ice packs and pressure bandages, you don't "need" a fancy dressing


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I can't use duct tape or masking tape. Thanks for all the great suggestions!


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Auntie said:


> I can't use duct tape or masking tape. Thanks for all the great suggestions!


You can if clean cloth is the layer closest to the skin, and the tape is wrapped around that to stabilize it. If tape runs short, the same approach with something with some stretch to wrap and tie around the outside also works. (<-- proof that roller derby can teach prepping skillz)


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Can you use those big rubber bands they use when they take blood samples at the Dr. Cobble something together.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

Super glue really works well bit it will get your attention when you put it on a raw wound!


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

The best cure for bleeding is to avoid getting cut in the first place. especially when we are talking about a SHTF situation you need to protect yourself from injury. you should be worried about infection as much as bleeding. 
You need to check your feet daily for injuries starting now. Use a hand mirror to see the bottoms if you can't reach or do yoga positions and twist them up where you can see. Wear foot protection at all times except in bed unless the hubby bites. this means shoes, boots and sturdy slippers with soles, not just socks. you also need to get in the habit of checking inside the shoe before putting it on in case there is a foreign object in your shoe that would cause injury. 

pressure to stop bleeding, keep things clean and use triple antibiotic if you have it.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

Other things to consider would be not only wear appropriate foot gear, but try to limit the amount of friction said footwear causes. Sores and foot ulcers can be just as bad if not worse since that kind of wound is much harder to close and heal especially if you can't feel them. Attaching moleskin to the parts of your shoes that rub your foot can help along with wearing good socks. Like other have said get in the habit of checking your feet often. At least as often as you change socks.

If you do have a wound direct pressure is still the best method of controlling bleeding. A pressure bandage that you can tie and then not have to hold onto is your best bet. Some 4X4 sterile gauze held in place by a cravat bandage, those things have so many fun uses by the way, is a great method especially in a high friction area like your feet.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I have started wearing rose tending gloves when working, especially around the animals. I have some horrible steel toed boots that I hate but wear. We have goat heads here and they caused me a lot of problems until I got the boots. They go through regular tennis shoes. Sine the day that my sister dug 11 goat heads out of my feet they are checked nightly. If you don't know what goat heads are here is a link with photos: Goat Head images

I am meticulous about cleaning wounds, to the dismay of my nephews.


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## wallyLOZ (May 12, 2013)

As I understand it, the Quick Clot products sold in the consumer market are to be used as a last ditch effort. It cauterizes (spelling?) the surrounding flesh which must then be surgically removed. It should be used in an emergency only. Such as a backwoods hunting accident where medical help is hours away. Please, someone with a medical background sing out!! I've had minimal first aid training and this was presented to us in the class.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Auntie, vet wrap is excellent stuff to have around. I learned about it watching the wife doctor the animals. We get ours online at Jeffers.
Also, I understand about the adhesive tape allergy caused by the latex. We have to use hypoallergenic paper tape on the wife.
Bleeding is a serious issue if there is enough of it. So serious, that the Army in it's combat first aid training that every soldier receives listed it first among the Four Life Saving Steps (drilled into us so well I can remember them 47 years later)
1. Stop the bleeding
2. Clear the airway
3. Protect the wound
4. Treat for shock


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## rjd25 (Nov 27, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Auntie, vet wrap is excellent stuff to have around. I learned about it watching the wife doctor the animals. We get ours online at Jeffers.
> Also, I understand about the adhesive tape allergy caused by the latex. We have to use hypoallergenic paper tape on the wife.
> Bleeding is a serious issue if there is enough of it. So serious, that the Army in it's combat first aid training that every soldier receives listed it first among the Four Life Saving Steps (drilled into us so well I can remember them 47 years later)
> 1. Stop the bleeding
> ...


In my EMT Class these are the things that were drilled into us:

1. BSI (Body substance isolation) Scene Safety (you can't help anyone if you become a patient)
2. ABC's (Airway clear, Check for breathing, Circulation or pulse)
3. Contain bleeding (direct pressure, raise above level of heart if possible, tourniquet if all else fails and mark the time it was applied)
4. Place in shock position and start O2 at 15 liters/min via non-rebreather mask


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Spider webs applied directly to the wound stops bleeding immediately, and it's all-natural.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I will check out Jeffers, we use vet wrap on animals and humans. One time I even used it to hold the gate closed while I went to get some tools. 

I hadn't heard about the spider webs. I will have to try it.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Auntie said:


> I will check out Jeffers, we use vet wrap on animals and humans. One time I even used it to hold the gate closed while I went to get some tools.
> 
> I hadn't heard about the spider webs. I will have to try it.


Wife says if you are latex intolerant to wrap cotton gauze around your skin before the vet wrap. She has used it on herself as well. She also says Jeffers is the cheapest she has found.
Farm & Ranch Supplies: Buckets, ID & Ear Tags, Snaps and Hardware and More | Jeffers Pet type vet wrap in the search box at the top.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Go take a first aid course offered by a fire dept. and bring up your scenario to them. Or make friends with a emt/paramedic and go over everything with him/her. i think your case needs a lot of real advice from people in the know.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

They will probably say what my Dr always says - go get stitches! The last time I was there for another reason she saw a cut on my finger and proceeded to lecture me about how important it is that I go to the ER or her office for stitches. I am trying to be as self sufficient as possible now while I have other options so I can learn. I will survive without my meds and thank God for that each and every day. However, I know the lack of feeling will get worse so I am trying to learn about different things I can do.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I know that doctors say to go to ER for stitches but I avoid hospitals like the plague, last thing I need is to catch something a lot worse than a cut that can simply be closed tight and kept clean. I may be lucky but so far I have never had anything get infected. I know that the almost 2" scar between my index finger and thumb could have healed a lot prettier than it did if I went in for stitches after accidentally getting cut on a rusty piece of metal but I kept on thinking of a staph infection going strong at one of the local hospitals so I decided not to go and treat it myself. 

I use iodine (pour it over the wound) and Podorozhnik (if in warm months).


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I have periphial neuropathy in my feet due to Agent Orange exposure during the war. So I know where you are coming from.


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

Does the podorozhnick work if it's dried or does it have to be fresh? Would be a good plant to cultivate, if you could dry it and store it.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

longrider said:


> Does the podorozhnick work if it's dried or does it have to be fresh? Would be a good plant to cultivate, if you could dry it and store it.


I have only tried it freshly picked (gently rub to release a bit of juice), it grows Spring to October, pretty much everywhere, I've even seen it in Key West. I would love to know if it works dried, I wish I could tell you. It's been raining here, I'll go for a walk tomorrow and see if I find any leaves still in the ground and save a few if possible. I was also thinking of growing them in a pot.


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

I just looked it up briefly. It can be used as a diuretic, for cough or bronchitis, if taken internally. The leaves can be used in salad, as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, for poison ivy, rash or boils. Who knew the plant I'd been pulling out of my yard for years is actually a good thing? I'm keeping them and dandilions.


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks for the helpful post, TG! That stuff is everywhere.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

It's amazing that we are always surrounded by useful, maybe even life-saving plants and we are simply not aware. I'm trying to learn what I can and try to remember everything I learned in my childhood from all of my wonderful aunts and grand-aunts, first aid classes..etc It's great to examine every type of plant that grows in your immediate area and learn what you can about it, you just never know


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

It looks like it's actually called Plantain in English, not the same as tropical, banana-form plantain 

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2014/08/make-use-plantain-poultice.html


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

The pollinators of the world love the flowers. I was reading today that you can freeze the fresh picked leaves and use them.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Auntie said:


> The pollinators of the world love the flowers. I was reading today that you can freeze the fresh picked leaves and use them.


That is a great idea, thank you.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Hydrogen Peroxide. Do they still use that?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Heck yes.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Stopping the bleeding is one thing and keeping infection out is another. A few years ago, I cut my lower leg. It was a routine cut that we all get all the time so I cleaned it (or so I thought), bandaged it, and went on about my life. 2 weeks later it was infected and I was out of town on business. It kept getting worse and worse but I put off going to the doc until I got home at the end of the week. Went to the doc and yes the infection was spreading rapidly so I got a shot and some pills and sent home. Two nights later, I was in the ER getting IV antibiotics and a lecture from the ER doc (and my wife). My lower leg still has a horrible scar from that.

People, every cut, every medical issue can be deadly especially the older you get. In a SHTF situation, care must be taken.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Good point slippy. Especially about SHTF. People will be working a lot harder than normal and that naturally leads to cuts and scrapes.

It's a great idea to wear sturdy clothes and boots and gloves when working outside. Eye protection is a good idea too.


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