Been told a guy has been killed felling a tree

[predator]

he was found dead under the tree been dead 3 days etc

[peatff]

My paramedic wife (and source of this information) says that if any part of you is trapped for that long i.e. 10 minutes+, and you need medical aid, then someone needs to insist that an emergency Doctor is present when you are released as the paramedic crews are not licensed to carry the necessary life saving drugs you will need to be administered potentially immediately.

 

Years ago a bloke I worked with was trapped when his fork lift overturned. He was released quickly and actually walked away from it then had a heart attack and died, virtually unharmed by the accident and only in his forties. That is a good warning for the future, they thought it was the shock of what happened that caused the cardiac arrest.

[Paul Cleaver]

its useful to know this

[Gray git]

Also can apllie if a casualty is hung in a harness for a long period without moving ie when knocked out , was always told to bring em down but leave them sat in the harness just off the ground till emergency services arrive.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Arbtalk

[10 Bears]

Yes you are referring to Suspension Trauma which is considered to be theoretically possible but there has never been a reported case of it actually occurring. There is a HSE page and report all about it:

 

RR708: First aid measures for suspension trauma

[ArthurBottlesworth]

Is this related to deep vein thrombisis ?

[detritus21]

Is this related to deep vein thrombisis ?

 

no. The suspension or crush has the potential to cut off the blood supply which leads to a massive amount of lactic acid as the tissues have to work anaerobically. The tissues may break down also. When released the blood flow is restored leading to a massive release of toxins back into the blood stream.

[10 Bears]

Yep, that's right. The muscle breakdown is called Rhabdomyolysis which can occur as a result of being trapped/crushed for a period. A consequence of Rhabdomyolysis occurring is that it can lead to Kidney failure and death on its own.

 

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is where a coagulation occurs (blood clot) that the body cannot re-absorb straight away for a variety of reasons. The DVT though can be mobile and the clot can move through the bloodstream to the heart, lungs or brain, block an artery/vein and then you will get all the associated problems from that eg in the brain - symptoms of a stroke, in the lungs - respiratory arrest, and in the heart - just like a heart attack and potentially death.

 

What Detritus describes is a form of Compartment Syndrome, which is what I am referring to, but there are several types of this eg Acute, Sub-acute, Chronic etc all with different causes, symptoms and pathology.

 

In short, get that emergency Doctor in site as well if there is a proper crush/trapped injury!

 

(Yes, I do read my wife's medical books and training course materials!)