outdoor338

I heard a story a while back and it made me think, would you know what to do! This friend of mine was standing at an area, that he was to meet 3 guys that were to go deer hunting with him, this was an area that several people parked their cars and walked into the public hunting area to deer hunt. There were two older guys, standing by their car when one of the guys collapsed, my friend went over and had no clue what to do! How many of you would be able to help? How many of you know how to perform CPR, if they had to, and is it important to know CPR, and hunt in the woods? Any personal stories to share about using CPR in the woods, or not knowing what to do!

Dr. Mike

Coastie

I would imagine that as many hunters as those in the general population know CPR or CPR/AED through training on the job and or in the military. I do not know what percentage that boils down to but the more the merrier. I am more interested in knowing how many would know how to treat a sucking chest wound.

Have 2 Hunt

I had another day of first aid training at work last week so I think I could give CPR or a sucking chest wound a try if I had to. Just hope I never have to.

Coastie

The sucking chest wound would probably be easier to treat than the heart attack, less work involved anyway.

bigbulls

There isn't much a person can do about a heart attack with out medication and equipment. If one has a heart attack in the woods they are pretty much on their own unless someone can call 911 on a cell phone. If a person has heart problems then they need to keep their medication in their front shirt pocket so another person or yourself can get to it very easily.

Thankfully I have never been in that situation but I would know what to do to help keep a person alive until the professionals arrived. Being on my ships firefighting team when I was in the Navy this stuff was gone over and over every time we had a G.Q. drill.

akbound

It simply amazes me the number of people that do NOT know when...or how....to administer CPR, or other basic lifesaving first aid. Many of these same people profess to have "loved ones" in their life...and yet sadly do not know, and in many cases "do not want to know" this information. And maybe it is all the more apparent to me because of my 20+ years in the military.

I could be wrong, but it seems to me, that the "I don't want to know attitude" is more prevelant where I currently live in southwestern Pennsylvania, than say Alaska. (But it may be because of all my time in and around military communities...as opposed to a predominantly "civilian" community.) And of course Alaska was kind of an exception in itself....my own feelings being that there tended to be many more self-sufficient types living in Alaska. On the whole...more adventurous types.

I have currently allowed my CPR and Basic Lifesaver Instructor's card/status to expire. So though I am not currently qualified to instruct....I believe under many circumstances I could at least react appropriately. Of course as was already pointed out...without medication or access to any other equipment there is a finite limit to what can be applied. (Though an outdoors person with a serious/known heart condition might want to look into the possibility of having a portable defib unit (AED)* available in their automobile.) See link below:

http://aedsurvivors.org/

Of course if you have medications, an AED, or other special devices available then you should probably hand print some pertinent information on a small card, laminate it, and pin it to a very visible location on your clothing. (IE. front coat pocket flap, headgear, etc.) It does no good to have these things available....and then not have anyone aware of it. Also keep a disposable resuscitation shield in a pocket or pack. For that matter any outdoorsman that believes they would be willing and capable of rendering assistance...should keep a disposable shield (or two) on themselves. Along with their basic first aid kit.

Personally I believe this is a much under discussed subject matter....and far too little attention is given to it....before the emergency transpires. For those of you that participate in "camps" or regular groups of hunters it would behoove you to take the time to discuss this issue. (Maybe even suggest that all camp participants be trained in CPR and Basic Lifesaving....you may know it...and you might be the one needing the assistance.) It requires only a very small investment in time and or money...and can literally be the difference between life or death.

As an aside. If you are a member of a reasonable sized group of hunters that participates in an organized camp, (or even a large family group), it might be worth your time to look into having an AED available.

* automated external defibrillators.

P.S. As a note. If the cost of a good AED is spread among ten paying camp members it is considerably less than $200. per person. (You do the math...on whether you or a loved one is worth the expense!)

BeaverJack

Kinda destroys the ambiance of a wilderness experience, don't it? I mean having a battery powered heart zapper along. One thing I noticed about CPR, they keep changing it. Its a lot differnt nowadays from when I learnt it back in the 70s as a field medic. Suckin' chest wounds may be easier to treat, but I doubt yer gonna git a higher survival rate than a average heart attack. I figure we all gotta go somehow, and I can't think of a better place to exit than lookin' up at the sky from the forest floor, leaves kinda floatin' down an' maybe a eagle cry out yonder somewheres. Beats the hell outta a smelly hospital bed with tubes, bed pans, bed sores, goin' in an out of consciousness while they "manage" my pain by makin' me a zombie for my las' few days. People who die outside leave better lookin' corpses too, I noticed.

akbound

Hey BeaverJack,

I certainly understand the sentiments. And I have seen enough of "death in hospitals" and particularly of loved ones that I don't whole heartedly disagree. And if I have lived a full life, and fulfilled to the largest extent my obligations to those "truly" dependent upon me (ie. especially children) then I would certainly prefer going in the woods as opposed to "all tubed up" in some hospital. But a large number of sudden death occurrences to heart attacks are fairly young to middle aged "men" (in particular) that just happened to "catch a clot". And in particular this frequently fatal heart attack could be treated with the survivor going on to live a long and fruitful life. If it is treated immediately, (or nearly so).

And I certainly don't doubt your sincerity....but if it were your brother, son, wife, (loved one), lying on the ground gasping and turning ashen, would you really just stand there and allow them to experience a "peaceful" death in the woods? Or prefer to subject your loved ones to that experience...watching you?

Most of us couldn't just stand by and choose to do nothing!

Dave

MmmmElk

I could give a thoracotomy. I've actually thought about it, because I've had to have them numerous times (health issues, not injury related). My huntin knife and the tube from my Camelbak is all that would be needed. Maybe some fishin line and a needle to stitch it tight.

usa

I didn't think that I would ever agree with BEAVERJACK on anything, but his feeling's about death in the wood's is exactly the same as mine, I've alway's said that I would like to die in the wood's or in my wife's arm's , either place is heaven. That being said I also try to keep up on the latest cpr and have completed a standard first aid class, I also carry a vent kit in my truck in case I run into someone who needs to be ventilated and I don't want to do the lip to lip thing, I wouldn't say I'm homofobic ,but I do have exit only tattoed on my ass.LOL I had a heart attack on the way home from muley hunting in Craig, at least 40 mile's from the nearest doctor, first one ! my wife think's I'm crazy because while I was having a severe attack ,I looked up and said to my wife , look theres a deer in the field, so you know where my priorities lie. Someone should start a thread about feelings regarding death, In my opinion it's vastly overrated, I look at death as just another adventure that we'll all experience someday