02/16/2019 / By Zoey Sky
A prepper who lives off grid knows how important first aid skills are, especially if someone gets injured in a remote area and you don’t have access to emergency medical services. (h/t to HomesteadSurvivalSite.com)
Listed below are crucial skills that you need to learn so you can address common medical emergencies.
Use a belt, sheet, shirt, or towel as a makeshift tourniquet. Use a rigid stick that won’t break or loosen to tighten the tourniquet.
Below are the basic steps for applying a tourniquet.
During a breathing or cardiac emergency, knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can save a person’s life. CPR involves manual chest compressions that are usually combined with artificial ventilation.
The goal of CPR is to preserve brain function and restore blood circulation and breathing when someone is in cardiac arrest. Take note that the procedure slightly differs for adults and children. You can sign up for CPR training or refresher courses at the nearest Red Cross center.
When someone is choking, the Heimlich maneuver can help save their life. This simple technique uses abdominal thrusts to dislodge an object blocking a person’s airway.
Below are the basic steps, but keep in mind that the procedure differs slightly for children and pregnant women.
Follow these steps to treat someone in shock.
Use common items like cardboard or newspapers. Tie them in place with cordage like a bandanna or some rope. Make sure the splint immobilizes both the bone above and below the joint. Use a splint and a sling to fully immobilize an arm fracture.
While waiting for medical help, check the pulse below the splint every hour. If you are unable to detect a pulse or if the patient experiences numbness, re-wrap the area more loosely.
Keep a fully-stocked first aid kit so you don’t waste time rummaging in it when someone is injured when SHTF. Aside from the standard supplies that you need in a kit, such as bandages and gauze, add items that will meet the specific needs of your family members, such as diabetes medication.
Other items you may need include alternative medicines like essential oils, medicinal herbs, or plants that can treat minor to moderate emergencies.
Take a basic first aid course or a refresher course to learn other skills that can help prepare you for common medical emergencies during a disaster scenario.
When you’re in a survival situation, you can’t sit and wait while help arrives. Knowing first aid can spell the difference between life and death.
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Tagged Under: CPR, emergency medicine, first aid, Heimlich maneuver, how to, off grid, outdoors, preparedness, prepping, SHTF, splints, survival, survival gear, survivalist, tourniquet, wilderness