You’re miles from any civilization at a lookout point on a large boulder with a friend, taking in the beautiful fall scenery, when your buddy slips and falls to the ground. They’re holding their leg and screaming in pain; their tibia (shin bone) is sticking out of the skin, and blood is quickly escaping the wound. You run to their aid and put an improvised tourniquet on them to stop the bleeding. Now you need to get them out of the woods quickly, but you’ve got to do something about that fractured leg before you move them. What do you do?
Find out by clicking this link: Save Lives Like a Combat Medic: How to Splint a Lower-Leg Fracture
This article is one of my guest submissions to The Art of Manliness; its second in the series I will be continuing for them about improvised first aid techniques learned from generations of combat medics. I learned these skills during my time as a medic, and as a “Combat Lifesaver” instructor. They aren’t the prettiest first aid techniques, and they certainly don’t follow all the rules in health care; but they are proven improvised life saving skills sure to keep people alive.
Head on over and check out this primer lower-leg splinting, and see my tourniquet how-to as well. When the time comes, you too will know how to save lives like a combat medic. While you’re there, browse around their site; a guy can learn a lot about being a real man from them; and women can learn what to expect out of a gentlemen (and what to get us for Christmas).
Latest posts by Bruce Allan West (Posts)
- Improvised litters for emergency first aid - December 4, 2012
- Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag - December 3, 2012
- Save Lives Like a Combat Medic: How to Splint a Lower-Leg Fracture - November 30, 2012
Good to see a fellow soldier medic sharing secrets of the trade for others’ benefit. Good article – and thanks for recommending me to another great blog!
you army guys have your own way of doin things. never heard of anyone putting tourniquets on before doing abc.
takes me back to first aid training at benning. things changed since then. good to know how they do it now. keep it up doc.
thanks for the lesson, doc. medics done alright by me.