Combat Life Saving

Question 1

What are the symptoms of shock?

Answer 1

• Sweaty but cool skin
• Pale skin
• Restlessness, nervousness
• Thirst
• Loss of blood (caused by internal or external bleeding)
• Confusion or loss of awareness
• Faster than normal breathing rate
• Blotchy or bluish skin (especially around the mouth and lips)
• Nausea and vomiting

Question 2

What causes shock?

Answer 2

• Severe of minor trauma to the body
• Significant blood loss
• Heart failure
• Infections
• Bites
• Dehydration

Question 3

What is homorrhagic shock?

Answer 3

Loss of 20% of body’s blood. Body can bleed out in 60-120 seconds.

Question 4

How can you treat shock?

Answer 4

• Position the casualty on his or her back.
• Elevate the casualty’s feet higher than the level of the heart. Use a stable object so that the feet will not slip off. Remember to splint suspected fractures before elevating the feet.
• Loosen clothing at the neck, waist or wherever it may be binding.
• Prevent chilling or overheating. Place a blanket or like item over and under the victim to prevent chilling
• Calm the casualty.
• During the treatment or prevention of shock, do not give the casualty any food or drink.

Question 5

What are the two types of soft tissue injuries?

Answer 5

Open and closed

Question 6

Give a classification of a closed wound:

Answer 6

Contusion - Caused by blood leaking under the skin.

Question 7

Give classifications of open wounds:

Answer 7

Abrasion - Scrape across skin.
Laceration - Jagged cut.
Incision - Clean cut, no jagged edges.
Puncture - Penetration of the body.

Question 8

What should you check with a gunshot wound?

Answer 8

For an exit wound.

Question 9

How do you treat an open wound?

Answer 9

• Control the bleeding by direct pressure, pressure points, or as a last resort, a tourniquet.

Question 10

What are the two parts of the field dressing?

Answer 10

Sterile dressing and bandage.

Question 11

What are the classifications of special wounds?

Answer 11

Avulsion - Piece of skin and tissue torn from body.
Crushing wound - Severe contusion
Amputation - Separation of a digit or limb

Question 12

What are symptoms of the sucking chest wound?

Answer 12

• Hole in chest wall.
• Pain that is aggravated by or occurs with breathing, localized around the site of an injury in the chest.
• Dyspnea (difficulty or pain with breathing).
• Failure of one or both sides of the chest to expand normally when inhaling.
• A rapid, weak pulse and low blood pressure.
• Cyanosis (discoloration) of the lips, fingertips, or fingernails.

Question 13

What should you do with all casualties on the battlefield?

Answer 13

Attempt to move them to cover if possible.

Question 14

What are the types of bleeding?

Answer 14

Arterial - Flow of bright red blood in distinct bursts.
Venous - Steady flow of dark red blood.
Capillary - Slow oozing of blood.

Question 15

How do you treat serious bleeding?

Answer 15

Direct pressure, pressure points, tourniquet.

Question 16

What is tension pneumothorax?

Answer 16

Air pressure within the chest cavity builds up to such a degree that the collapsed lung is pressed firmly against the uninjured lung and heart, interfering both with the ventilation of the good lung and with heart action. Tension pneumothorax is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield.

Question 17

What haemostatic agents can be used to stop bleeding?

Answer 17

Quickclot
HemCon
Combat Gauze

Question 18

What are symptoms of internal bleeding?

Answer 18

• Rapid and weak pulse.
• Pale, moist and cold skin.
• Shallow and rapid respiration.
• Thirst.
• Dilated pupils.
• Coughing up or vomiting dark red blood the color of coffee grounds.
• Stiff abdominal muscles.

Question 19

What classifies a first degree burn?

Answer 19

Limited to the most superficial layer of the epidermis and result only in reddening of the skin.

Question 20

What classifies a second degree burn?

Answer 20

Partial-thickness burns cause damage into but not through the dermas and characteristically result in blisters forming on the skin.

Question 21

What classifies a third degree burn?

Answer 21

Full-thickness burns destroy the skin down to the subcutaneous fat.

Question 22

What are the sources of burns?

Answer 22

Thermal
Electric
Chemical
Laser

Question 23

What are the two types of fractures?

Answer 23

Closed (skin is not broken)

Open (skin is broken)

Question 24

What are the symptons of a spinal injury?

Answer 24

• Pain in the neck or back.
• Numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Deformity.
• Paralysis.