Although waiting until the assailants have left the scene does entail lost precious time for the stabbing victim, having more people injured is hardly conducive to rescuing anybody.
If you are the only person around, use your phone to call for as first priority assistance. If you don’t have a phone with you, try to find a passersby or a nearby shop. You want to help the person as quickly as you can, but the most helpful thing you can do is get professional medical help to the victim as soon as possible. If the assailants are still nearby and you are unable to safely approach the victim, use that time to call emergency services.
For comfort, place a jacket or backpack under the victim’s head. Alternatively, if there are other people around, ask one of them to sit with the person’s head in her/his lap and talk to her/him. This will be soothing to the victim and help her/him keep calm. [3] X Research source
You will probably have to part the person’s clothing to properly identify the wound(s). Try to look for and identify all wounds before starting your treatment. However, if you notice one obviously severe wound that needs urgent treatment, you should deal with this immediately. A severe wound would be one that is bleeding steadily and profusely or one that it spurting out blood like a geyser. Spurting blood is usually a sign that the wound has hit an artery.
If available, nitrile or other non-latex gloves are preferable. These types of gloves minimize the possibility of an allergic reaction to latex, which can complicate treatment. Nitrile and other non-latex gloves are usually blue or purple and are rapidly replacing the white latex gloves that were previously the standard. If you don’t have gloves with you, try to wash your hands or even use a hand sanitizer quickly. If you have nothing available to you, try to use layers of cloth to keep a barrier between yourself and the victim’s blood. Remember, you do not have to touch the person if you believe that you are in danger of contracting an infection or are otherwise uncomfortable. Wait for emergency assistance if you are in doubt. If you choose to treat the victim, do your best to minimize contact with the victim’s blood.
Make sure the person’s airway remains unobstructed. Listen for the sound of breathing and watch the person’s chest for movement. Check the victim’s pulse to make sure the heart is still beating. If the victim has stopped breathing, perform CPR. If the person is conscious, begin working but also talk with her/him to keep her/him calm and help slow her/his heart rate. If possible, try to keep the victim’s eyes averted so she/he cannot see the wound.
Use care in removing the victim’s clothing since she/he is likely in considerable pain.
You’ll need to apply pressure and dress the wound around the object as best you can. Medical professionals will be better able to remove the object without damaging any internal organs or causing massive blood loss in the process.
Some first aid training suggests using the edge of a credit card to “seal” the wound, an item that’s handy because so many people have one on them. Not only does this stem blood flow, but it may also prevent lung collapse (by keeping air out of the wound) if the wound is in the chest. If the wound is bleeding profusely, apply pressure to the major artery leading to the area with your hand, while your other hand continues to apply pressure on the wound. These areas are called “pressure points”. For example, to slow bleeding in the arm, press the inside of the arm just above the elbow or just below the armpit. If the wound is on the leg, press just behind the knee or in the groin. [7] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
If you don’t have any materials to fasten the dressing in place, simply continue to apply pressure. This will help the blood clot. For a chest wound, be careful. Cover the wound with something like kitchen foil, a plastic bag or cling-film and only cover three sides of the wound and leave one un-taped or bandaged down. Air needs to be able to escape from one side of the bandage to prevent it from entering the pleural cavity in the chest. If air enters the pleural cavity, the lungs can collapse. Never use a tourniquet except as the last resort to save a life. [9] X Trustworthy Source World Health Organization Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization Go to source Know how and when to use a tourniquet. If a tourniquet is applied incorrectly, it may lead to an unnecessary serious injury to or loss of the affected limb.
Look for and treat symptoms of shock. Symptoms of shock include cool, clammy skin, paleness, rapid pulse or breathing, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, and increased anxiety or agitation. If you suspect the victim may be in shock, loosen any tight clothing and cover her/him with a blanket to warm her/him. Try to get the victim to stay still. See How to treat shock for details. [10] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
If the unconscious victim stops breathing, place the victim on her/his back and perform CPR.
Keep the victim as still as possible. Whether lying or sitting down, the person should be kept still and calm. It is important that someone remains with the person constantly to both reassure her/him and to monitor her/his condition. [13] X Research source
Remove any debris from the wound if present. Keep in mind, however, that even a wound without debris has had an object jabbed in it and there’s no way of knowing how clean that item was. In other words, every wound should be cleaned properly. Saline is the best to irrigate the wound. Fresh, clean water is best if there is no saline on-hand. You can also make a salt solution. Mix of 1 tablespoon (14. 8 ml) of salt to 1 cup of warm water. The victim will likely experience pain when the wound is being cleaned so if the person is conscious, give her/him a warning.
If you have some medical training or you are certain the wound is clean, you may wish to close the wound. Make sure the wound is dry first. If you have some glue, apply it to the edges of skin around the wound (not on the wound). Apply a strip of tape to one edge of the wound, close the skin gap with your hand, and apply the other side of the tape. Cover the wound with clean cloth, duct tape, or whatever else you have on hand that can keep dirt and other infectious materials out of the wound. The wound should be repacked daily. If a wound will not cease bleeding, do NOT close it.
