WANDERERS MC MOTORCYCLE SAFETY


Biker Down: How to Respond in an Emergency PAGE 4

What to Do,
What Not to Do

Conscious? Breathing? Pulse? Bleeding? (Cont'd) You put on gloves, then quickly cut open your friend's jacket and shirt. Once again, you lean close to look, listen, and feel for breathing. This time you're able to see that his chest is rising and falling. Since he's breathing on his own, you know that he has a pulse. Relieved, you move down to his legs to find -- and stop -- the severe bleeding.

Dealing with blood requires preparation, both physical and mental. Life-threatening injuries are often ugly and frightening, and the old stereotype about big, tough men fainting at the sight of blood isn't entirely untrue. The better prepared you are up front, the better you'll perform in a crisis.

Mentally, you need to steel yourself to see protruding bones, spurting wounds, and an almost unbelievable amount of blood in the event of a bad wound. Possibly even more important is that you steel yourself to ignore aggressive criticism and "advice" from bystanders.

Remember, until someone more qualified shows up, YOU are in charge of this scene. Armchair heroes are a dime a dozen, and you'll soon notice that the bossiest and most critical bystanders won't actually do anything to help. If they have much training at all, they'll be pulling on their own gloves, identifying themselves and their level of training, and offering to assist you. Keep your focus, and IGNORE UNQUALIFIED ADVICE.

Physically, you must be prepared with barriers to protect you from disease, and latex gloves are #1 on the list. Riding gloves might be better than nothing (skin-to-blood), but blood can soak through them. Clean, dry cloths are also better than nothing. Your clears, goggles, or face shield can provide basic eye protection. Remember not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth at any time while working around body fluids, and to scrub your hands with soap and water immediately afterward-- even if you wore latex gloves. Be very careful not to touch the soiled surfaces when removing your gloves afterward, and dispose of them properly. If you don't have a regulation bio-hazard bag, a heavy-duty Ziploc bag can be used temporarily.

Still, here are the steps involved:

* Pinch the victim's nose shut, open your mouth WIDE, and cover the victim's entire mouth with yours.

* Exhale slowly into the victim's mouth, only until the chest gently rises.

* After two breaths, check for a pulse on the side of the victim's neck by lightly placing your fingers in the groove alongside his/her windpipe. DO NOT compress the windpipe! Check for a pulse for 5 to 10 seconds.

If you detect a pulse, continue rescue breathing until medical help arrives. For adults, you give 1 breath about every 5 seconds. Count aloud: "ONE one-thousand TWO one-thousand THREE one-thousand FOUR one-thousand--" (breathe). Recheck for breathing and pulse every minute or so.

If you can't find a pulse, or if you lose a pulse after starting rescue breathing, you'll need to either use an A.E.D. (Automatic External Defibrillator) to shock the heart into restarting, or begin CPR-- chest compressions + rescue breathing. Chest compressions can't restart the heart; they simply force oxygen-carrying blood to circulate throughout the body. This buys a little time for the victim until an ambulance can arrive with equipment and drugs to restart the heart.

As with rescue breathing, chest compressions can only be effectively learned in a hands-on session. As a quick reminder and update for those who have been CPR certified in the past, here are the current steps for adult victims:

* Place the heel of your right hand in the center of the chest, over the breastbone. Place your left hand on top of your right hand, lacing your fingers together for added stability. * With your arms straight, position your body so your shoulders are directly over your hands. * Compress chest 15 times, counting aloud. ("ONE and TWO and THREE and FOUR and...") The 15 compressions should be completed in about 10 seconds. * Give two rescue breaths. * Repeat cycles of 15 compressions/2 breaths for about one minute, then pause to recheck for breathing and a pulse.