0 thoughts on “Survival Medicine: Dealing With Wounds in a Survival Situation”

1. Reblogged this on The way I see things … and commented:
   Great info here! As The Tactical Hermit suggests often — SAVE this article for future reference!

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   Most wounds you will encounter in an off-grid setting will be dirty. If you try to close a dirty wound, such as a gunshot, you have sequestered bacteria, bits of clothing, and dirt into your body. Within a short period of time, the wound will become infected. An infected wound appears red, swollen, and hot. In extreme cases, an abscess may form, and pus will accumulate inside. The infection may spread to the bloodstream, a condition known as “septicemia”, and become life-threatening.

   It may be difficult to fight the urge to close a wound. Leaving the wound open, however, will allow you to clean the inside frequently and directly observe the healing process. It also allows inflammatory fluid to drain out of the body. The scar isn’t as pretty, but it’s the safest option in most cases. In addition, if you’re truly in a long-term survival scenario, the suture material or staples you have aren’t going to be replaced. It’s important to know when closure is absolutely necessary and when it’s not.

   Other considerations when deciding whether or not to close a wound are whether it is a simple laceration (straight thin cut on the skin) or whether it is an avulsion (areas of skin torn out or hanging flaps). If the edges of the skin are so far apart that they cannot be stitched together without undue pressure, the wound should be left open.

   Another reason the wound should be left open if it has been open for more than 8 hours. Why? Even the air has bacteria, and there’s a good chance that they have already colonized the injury by that time.

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