Emergency deep open wound : washing and stopping blood
was wondering if pouring liquid styptic on a deep open wound is a good thing to do before applying pressure to stop the bleeding? Then using saline or clean water to wash?
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Comments (7)
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CamilleContributor - February 22, 2021
Styptic mixtures can damage the surrounding tissue so I would advise against this course of action. Following this action by then washing out the solution you have poured into a wound would also dislodge blood clots that are already forming, slowing the clotting process overall. As someone with a genetic blood clotting disorder my parents tried basically every styptic powder, mixture and imbued blood stop bandage on me as a child, and most are honestly fairly worthless and expensive. If you want to use something for a severe injury, Celox (with an applicator) or a tourniquet is probably a good way to go. I would also like to note that depending on the type of wound – pouring something into it could trap debris that you may want the blood flow to flush out before applying pressure. The Prepared has a good article under the blog tab on stopping bleeds and packing wounds – it is worth checking out – the authors also do not suggest using styptic mixtures.
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chopper20ss - February 27, 2021
Great info! Thanks
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CamilleContributor - February 22, 2021
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chopper20ss - February 27, 2021
Thumbs up!
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hikermor - February 23, 2021
No, it is not a good thing. Apply direct pressure ASAP to stop the bleeding.
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chopper20ss - February 27, 2021
That seems to be the best advice.
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Carlotta SusannaStaff - February 27, 2021
To add to Camille’s post, according to our in-house medic (Former paramedic and Navy Corpsman – medic – with Marine Recon in Iraq, now teaching wilderness medicine) the correct steps to treat a bleeding wound are:
- Control bleeding
- Clean the wound
- If needed, close the wound with sutures, staples, glue, etc.
- Protect the wound with dressings and bandages
To clean the wound it is recommended to abundantly flush using only clean water.
More here: https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/clean-wound/
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