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Medical Video: How To Treat a GUNSHOT WOUND - Stay Alive Until Help Arrives
Gunshot wounds occur when a person is shot by a bullet or other type of projectile from a firearm; during criminal confrontations or terrorist incidents (including shots by law enforcement officers), suicide attempts, or unwanted "accident" shots - whether from civilians or armed forces.
Although current media coverage is proclaiming armed killings, armed crime in Indonesia is not widespread and the majority of doctors will rarely face injuries from firearms. If this happens, gunshot wounded victims will get surgical services or be included in a regional trauma center to receive further treatment.
However, there are lessons to be learned from here. You never really know exactly what you will face in the future. The tips below will help you to find out what steps you should take when faced with a gunshot wound.
Mechanism of gunshot wounds
There are various types of bullets, but the bullets that are commonly used are those that have a tin core coated by several types of casings. At the average speed when fired, the projectile can go up to 1,500 meters per second, depending on the core of the ammunition and the type of weapon used.
There are three main factors for determining the severity of gunshot wounds, namely:
- Shooting location and bullet in and out
- Projectile size
- Projectile speed
All three will have an impact on the gunshot wound, but changing the speed of the bullet makes a big difference to the fatality rate caused by the shot. In short, the bigger the weapon, the bigger the wound shot will be.
Steps to help victims of gunshot wounds
1. Stay safe. If you are not a gunshot wound victim, always prioritize general vigilance. All situations involving firearms are potentially dangerous. If you are also injured, you cannot provide much help for the victim.
2. Police call (110) or emergency services (119/112), as soon as you know for sure that there is a firearm involvement. Surviving a gunshot wound is very dependent on how quickly the victim is rushed to the hospital. Ideally, the gunshot wound victim must be rushed to the nearest emergency unit within 10 minutes after being shot.
3. Don't move the victim, if his safety is threatened.
4. Open the clothes or pants, and check thoroughly for gunshot wounds. You can't just rely on finding bullet-in-the-way lines, that all bullets will automatically break out on the same path as the entry point is intact. Sometimes, bullets can hit a bone, break into small pieces, and turn anywhere in the body. Some types of bullets can cause multiple injuries.
The head and upper body (chest and abdomen) are the two most critical areas of the body, with possible complications of major nervous system disorders or severe organ damage and bleeding.
5. Stop bleeding
- Give direct pressure. As much as possible, put pressure on the wound. If you have gauze, use it. Gauze pads will hold back the blood and help the blood component to stay together in the wound, to encourage the blood clotting process. If you don't have gauze, the torn clothes or towels will also work well. If blood penetrates the gauze, add the layer and never lift the cloth. Peeling gauze from the wound will stop the blood clotting process so that bleeding will continue.
- Lift the injured body part higher than the heart. Position the wound higher than the heart. That way, you will slow down the blood flow and make it easier to stop bleeding. Remember: keep applying pressure above the wound.
- Hold wound. Pressure points are areas of the body where blood vessels are clearly visible from the surface of the skin. By pressing blood vessels at this location, the blood flow will run slower, allowing direct pressure to stop bleeding. Make sure you press blood vessels in a location closer to the heart, rather than around the wound. Pressing the blood vessels away from the heart will not have any effect on stopping bleeding.
6. Take care of shock. Treatment of shock must be carried out from the start and together with the bleeding treatment, and continue until medical assistance arrives. How:
- Make sure the victim is still breathing.
- If you don't see a neck injury, make sure the victim is on his back and raise his legs above the heart. Do not lift the leg to treat shock if the gunshot wound is above the waist, unless the gunshot wound is on the arm.
- If the victim vomits, tilt his head. If in a lying position, open his mouth, and remove the vomit contents.
- Keep the victim warm. Death from hypothermia is a real risk.
7. If the victim is unconscious, but still breathing, make sure to keep the airway open and unobstructed. If the victim is not breathing, do artificial respiration (CPR). Pay attention to the victim's vital signs.
What happened after recovering from a gunshot wound
Shot by firearms is a traumatic experience. You may feel shaken, feel your safety is threatened, depression, or anger as a result. All of this is a normal reaction for someone who has just experienced a traumatic experience and is not a sign of weakness. You may also see other symptoms, such as:
- Anxiety
- Nightmares or trouble sleeping
- Remembering these traumatic events all the time
- Irritability
- Listless and not energetic
- Abused by sadness
If you continue to experience the above symptoms and feel overwhelmed by negative feelings for more than three weeks, contact your doctor. The shooting victim needs to get not only physical care for his gunshot wounds, but also emotional care to deal with the above symptoms which might develop into a stress disorder after a traumatic event (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD).
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