Survival Medicine 101 Part 6: How To Treat Cuts, Scrapes, And Scratches

Cuts, scrapes, and scratches may not seem like a big deal, after all, we have to deal with minor injuries all our lives. But when they happen during a disaster, it all gets much more complicated. You’ve got less time to identify the gravity of a wound and treat it accordingly or rush to the nearest hospital before it gets infected or starts bleeding heavily.

That’s why it’s crucial to know the basics of treating minor injuries.

The first thing you should know is when to go to the hospital. Amanda C. Strosahl, one of the best health news and healthy living writers on Yahoo! contributors network has identified 10 signs that you should seek medical attention immediately:

• The cut is deep

• The cut is long. Long cuts are considered to be approximately 1 inch when on the hand or foot and 2 inches when elsewhere on the body.

• The cut is jagged.

• The injury involved a pet. This is especially important if the pet was a cat due to the risk of cat scratch fever.

• The injury involved a wild animal.

• The injury is due to a bite, either human or animal in nature.

• The wound has debris stuck in it after proper cleansing.

• The wound is bleeding heavily.

• The wound will not stop bleeding after applying direct pressure for 10 minutes.

• The injury is a puncture wound.”

Remember, however, that looks can be deceiving, What seems a superficial wound can make a lot of damage underneath the skin, where bacteria is trapped (like puncture wounds). Examine the wound well before taking action.

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As long as the wound is not bleeding too heavily, the first thing to do is wash it with soap and water. If it does bleed heavily, apply pressure for 10 minutes. These are the first steps to take, even if help is on its way.

If the wound is not minor and you’re not perfectly sure what to do, ask a 911 operator to walk you through the process. However, given that we’re talking about a disaster here, the operators might have to other cases, where people’s lives are on the line.

In most cases, you should be just fine on your own, as long as you know the basic treatment methods.

WebMD treats this subject exhaustively and presents specific steps for every type of minor injury:

Scratches and Cuts on the Face

“Your injury’s location can affect how you bandage it. For most injuries, first, you’ll want to clean it with water to get rid of debris and help prevent infection. Then, stop bleeding by applying pressure with sterile gauze.

Face injuries can bleed a lot. But once the bleeding stops, minor face cuts can go uncovered. Or a small adhesive strip can work well. You may need stitches if your cut is jagged, deep or longer than a half inch.”

Blisters

“Small, unbroken blisters can be left uncovered and will usually heal on their own. The exception — if a blister is in an area where it might get rubbed, such as on the sole of the foot. In that case, protect the blister with a soft dressing to cushion the area.

For a broken blister that has drained, protect it from infection by covering it with a bandage.”

Sprains and Strains

“A sprain means a stretched or torn ligament, while a strain involves an injury of a muscle or tendon.

The signs are pain and swelling. In addition to icing the injury, wrap it with an elastic compression bandage and keep it elevated when possible. In some cases of severe sprain or strain, surgery and/or extensive physical therapy may be needed.”

Minor Burns

“Seek medical help for burns if they are severe, on the face, or bigger than 2 inches. For treating small minor burns at home, rinse the area in cool water.

Never use butter, grease, or powder on a burn. After rinsing, cover the burn with a thin layer of antibiotic ointment. Then bandage it. A non-stick dressing is best and you may need tape to hold the dressing in place.”

Open Cuts

“If the edges of a cut are separated but will go together, use a butterfly bandage to close the wound. This type of bandage should be placed across the cut, not along its length.

If the wound is long, more than one bandage may be needed. Seek professional care for cuts that are gaping, longer than a half inch, or don’t stop bleeding after 15 minutes of pressure.”

Surgical Wounds

“After surgery, you’ll need to keep the incision site clean and dry. Change the dressing according to your doctor’s instructions.

Each time you remove the old dressing, check the wound for signs of infection, such as increasing redness around the wound, a yellow or green discharge, or an unusual odor.”

Scraped Knees or Elbows

“Skinned knees or elbows can also be awkward to cover. Larger-sized bandages or adhesive bandages with wings can hug joints and move with you.

Another alternative: Use a liquid bandage. This will stop minor bleeding and protect the wound from dirt and water. Liquid bandage is shower-resistant and only needs to be applied once.”

Injured knuckles, Heels, and Fingers

“Fingers, heels, knuckles, and knees move, so covering them can be tricky. But you’ll want to keep them covered to keep dirt out.

Bandages that are hourglass shaped or notched so they are shaped like an “H” can prevent folds and bunching. Or they can wrap around a fingertip for full coverage.”

Large Scrapes

“Scrapes that cover a large area should be kept moist to help promote healing. Antibiotic ointment or moisture-enhancing bandages, also called occlusive bandages, can do the job.

Some scrapes don’t form a scab as they heal but remain shiny and raw. If this occurs, wash the wound with clean water and apply a fresh bandage regularly. Watch for signs of infection.”

Cuts on Your Hands or Feet

“The hands and feet are exposed to more dirt than the face, so it’s best to keep cuts covered. Bandaging can also prevent shoes and socks from irritating wounds on the feet.

Adhesive strips can be used for small cuts, but be sure to change the bandage if it gets wet or dirty. Seek medical help for deep cuts or puncture wounds on the hands or feet.”

I really hope this article will help you a lot in the future. These are universal treatment methods and you can apply them anytime you need them, whether you’re struggling in a post-disaster environment or you simply cut your finger cutting a tomato.

However, prevention is the best way to keep yourself and your family healthy, so make sure you’re always protected and be careful whenever you’re handling sharp or heavy objects.

If you’re interested in more articles on survival and emergency medicine topics, check out www.myfamilysurvivalplan.com

Emergency Food Recipe Of The Week #3: Butterbean Salad

photo source: www.agriculturesource.com

Today’s Emergency Food Recipe is deliiiicious and embarrassingly easy.

busycooks reveals the secrets to making a perfect butter bean salad in no more than 15 minutes.’ And the best part is: you can cook this meal pretty much anywhere: at home, when you’re out of time, or outdoors, when you’re camping or when there’s no power source.

But besides being versatile and easy to make, it’s also very nutritious and great for your health. Butter-beans have little-known benefits that help your body work at its best, with almost no effort at all.

You may not know this, but…

… butter-beans have tiny amounts of fat.

They’re some of the healthiest veggies because the amounts of unhealthy fat are almost inexistent. But that doesn’t mean they make you feel weak, because…

… butter-beans are high in calories.

This means you’ll be fresh and energized all throughout the day. All you need to do is eat a yummy salad and you’re good to go. It’s light on the stomach, but it gives you the buzz. And that’s not all:

… butter-beans are also high in iron.

Actually, they’ve got a quarter of the daily recommended dose. But why is iron so important for you? Well, iron helps your body get oxygenated. This way, you’ll think faster and clearer, your blood will be healthy and you’ll avoid that annoying feeling of weakness at the end of the day.

Now let’s get to our easy-peasy recipe. Here’s what you need:

• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 5 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 (15 oz.) cans butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 11 oz. can shoe-peg corn, drained
• 14.5 oz. can zesty chili diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 small red onion, chopped

If you want more protein, just add some chicken or fish (especially tuna).

Now it’s time to mix everything in a large bowl. First, mix vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and some parsley. Then add the rest of ingredients and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour or two. But you can also serve it right away, together with your family. It will be more than enough for 4 people.

And if you still have doubts that it’s absolutely delicious, just take a look at what these people are saying:

“Tasty and easy,

A great dish to make when car camping! I didn’t bother to wash off the beans (I just drained the cans) and it still turned out well. I’d recommend throwing in a pepper if you like spicy foods, but otherwise, the recipe is great as is!”

“Easy and flavorful,

This salad was so easy to make. We served it on mixed salad greens right out of the bag and it was delicious.”

busycooks

Can’t wait to hear your opinion about it! Hope you really like it.

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mango-and-black-bean-salsa
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Indoor Emergency Cooking Tips

Here we are with a new round of emergency cooking tips. This time we’ll cover the indoor cooking instruments and techniques.

The first thing you need to take into consideration is the heating source. If a power outage occurs, you can use a propane stove, NEVER something based on charcoal. Why? Because burnt charcoal releases a great amount of carbon monoxide that could poison you and your family.

But here’s the #1 safety rule: whatever you use for cooking, always keep a window cracked open all throughout the process, so you make sure no toxic gas harms you or your kids. Always cook in well-ventilated areas, only with indoor cooking tools (never on outdoor grills or camp stoves). Open doors and windows when you’re finished at let the air circulate for at least 30 minutes.

To get familiar with cooking without electricity, you can even replace your electric cooktop with a gas unit, so as long as you have gas, you can cook.

It’s not very complicated, but you have to keep one thing in mind: if a major disaster crashes buildings down, gas will most likely be shut down, to avoid any leakage. So the best solution is to get a regulator that also handles propane and stock some alternative fuel to use when there’s no gas.

You can also use Sterno Fuel, which is made of jellied petroleum. It’s perfectly safe to use indoors and it’s easily ignited with a match. So make sure you’ve always got matches around, preferably kept in an airtight bag.

Now let’s move on to the next thing on the list: how do you keep items fresh after the power outage begins?

First of all, try to keep your fridge and freezer closed as much as you can. Make a list of everything you need for cooking and get everything out at once. If you don’t open the fridge more than once, it can keep food cold for up to 6 hours. Afterwards, you’ve got just 2-4 hours left to cook everything… or move the items into a cooler, with lots of ice.

A freezer can normally keep food cold for up to 48 hours. But keep some towels under it, as the ice will start to melt and leak on the floor. Also, you can wrap your fridge and freezer in blankets to keep it cold longer. Sounds weird, I know, but it actually works.

My advice is to get an instant-read food thermometer, to make sure the food is still safe for eating. If the thermometer shows above 40 degrees, you should seriously question whether you should eat the food or not.

But it’s better to always be extra cautious and throw out what’s not perfectly safe. A ride to the hospital isn’t worth all the food in the world. Also, when the power comes back, clean your fridge and your freezer thoroughly to keep away bacteria.

One last tip: write down easy emergency cooking recipes and keep them in your pantry, close to your stockpile. Keep your cooking tools in there, too. This will make things easy for you, cause you’ll know exactly what foods and tools you need while you’re in the pantry.

And to make it even easier, next time I’ll start posting The Delicious Emergency Recipe Of The Week. So come back for a collection of the simplest, tastiest recipes you can make with your survival food.