There are lots of ways to save a life in an emergency. And the 5 we’re about to talk about may be some of the most crucial (and applicable) in a survival situation.
In a survival situation, there’s no guarantee you’ll have all the proper medical devices and personnel you need – especially when someone’s health goes under. And in cases like these it’s up to YOU to help that person stay alive.
Now keep in mind these techniques aren’t permanent solutions. However, they’re excellent short-term solutions until you can get additional medical assistance.
5 Ways To Save A Life In An Emergency
CPR
This has been dubbed the #1 first-aid survival technique for crisis situations. That’s because performing CPR can double (if not triple) a person’s survival rate. Keep in mind this is assuming they can get proper medical attention ASAP.
It’s so important that we’ve already written an entire survival article devoted to this subject. Go ahead and click here to learn all about this technique and how to utilize it in a crisis.
Strapped for time? Watch this CPR video from the American Red Cross for a quick overview.
Stabilize A Spine After Injury
In a survival situation, it’s not uncommon for someone to fall a long distance, or to be hit on the head or back, causing spinal damage.
In cases like these, it’s crucial to ensure the victim doesn’t move. Further movement can damage the spine even more, and can cause permanent paralysis.
Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to stabilize the spine. Simply place your hands on either side of the victim’s head to keep it completely still. Then have a second person fully assess the victim’s body to see if there’s any other damage.
Keep in mind this may be a false alarm; however, it’s far more important to stabilize that spine and prevent further injury than to take the risk.
Prevent Bleeding Out
People can easily bleed out from a wound if they don’t find a way to pressurize it. Therefore the easiest way to stop this is to apply direct pressure to the area.
Place clean fabric (like gauze or a clean T-shirt) onto the wound and apply firm, steady pressure. Maintain this pressure for 20 minutes to give the blood opportunity to clot.
If the bleeding continues after 20 minutes, apply more pressure and keep waiting.
Once the bleeding has stopped, wrap the wound snugly (but not tightly).
Treat Shock
Shock occurs when a person’s brain doesn’t get enough oxygen to continue functioning. Shock can happen as a result of many things, such as illness, head trauma, an accident, or blood loss.
Therefore the best way to help treat shock is to help get more oxygen to the brain. This can be done by laying the victim on their back, and raising their legs up above the rest of their body.
This movement helps bring blood flow to the head, and help the brain function.
Just continually make sure the victim is still breathing. If not, you’ll have to perform CPR (which you can learn about here).
Keep the victim warm by covering them with a blanket. Do not give them any food or water before oxygen is restored to the brain – otherwise they may choke due to disorientation.
Stop Choking
When an object (such as food) is in the path of someone’s airway, this can stop them from breathing. As they begin choking, it’s important to begin using the Heimlich maneuver in order to restore breathing and dislodge the item.
Check out the video below to learn various ways to help dislodge the item.