Nothing can compare to the proven medical equipment that you find in a first aid kit when you need to treat an injury. There are plenty of drastic situations, however, when you might find yourself without a first aid kit, and medical attention is something not readily available.
If you are isolated in the wilderness, for example, sometimes you only have your wits and what’s around you to keep you going. In this blog, Team Medexplore a few methods on how to treat minor injuries without a first aid kit.
Stop Bleeding
If you have a wound that is bleeding, the first thing you need to do is assess the severity. If it is minor bleeding, go about cleaning the wound with any unpolluted water source available, before placing clean, soft, and absorbent material on the wound, such as paper towels or uncontaminated clothes. Lastly, you want to keep the material over the wound with any tape of wound clothing, making sure not to cut off circulation.
For wounds that are bleeding profusely, it is essential to stem blood loss as soon as possible. Elevate the body part above the person’s heart in order to reduce the speed of blood flow, and keep pressure on the wound by either using material or, if you have nothing available, your hand.
Stabilising Broken Bones
When broken bones occur, many people have the immediate instinct to attempt to realign it. This should be avoided at all costs. Broken bones are extremely sharp, and although they do need to be reset to heal properly, this should be done by a professional, as it can otherwise lacerate blood vessels and muscles, as well as disfigurement should it be set incorrectly.
The best course of action is to keep the bone steady, stabilised, and raised above where their heart sits in order to reduce swelling. If you have ice, or something cold, application of it will also help to slow swelling and lessen any further damage.
Soothe Burns
Burns naturally retain a lot of heat on the skin, so it is important to cool the area as much as possible, otherwise more damage can be inflicted. Locate cool, running water and place the wound underneath it. From there, wrap something that will keep out any potential contaminates, yet will also not stick to the wound. Paper towels or clean items of clothing will do the trick.