Emergency Trauma Care Part 4

In today's Trauma Care Blog post I have a Video Tutorial, again from North American Rescue, on the use application of the Occlusive Wound Dressing. These wound dressings are designed to be used for penetrating chest wounds. They are designed to prevent what is called "Tension Pneumothorax".

"A tension pneumothorax is a life-threatening condition that develops when air is trapped in the pleural cavity under positive pressure, displacing mediastinal structures and compromising cardiopulmonary function."

In plain language it prevents outside air pressure form entering and building up in the chest cavity, thereby preventing the lungs from functioning properly.

A word of warning here, a lot of info on the internet about treating penetrating chest wounds and sealing them with Occlusive wound bandages includes Needle Decompression. Use of this device is not something that you should attempt unless you are a certified or licensed medical professional. Doing so could result in your suffering serious legal consequences.


The video below is straightforward and easy to understand. I hope everyone watching it is able to get some practical value from it.

 

NOTE: 
While video tutorials are a valuable means of increasing your knowledge of practical skills, when it come to a subject like Emergency Trauma Care in the absence of a professional First Responder, there is no substitute for hands on training from a qualified instructor.