Blood thinners and sharp tools

[Rifleman1776]

Hope you are well. Stents are serious business.
Do heed wat Tenngun said. He works with issues like this and is a professional.
My son, an ER doctor, dislikes the use of those bleed stop powders and such. He says they seal in bacteria and can cause serious infection issues. He has said to me that if pressure won't stop the bleeding you won't live to get to the ER.

 

[Crewdawg445]

The bacteria aspect is certainly true, however as with any quick action trauma treatment it's about stopping the bleeding then and there, allowing you time to receive more specific treatment of the issue. When I was deployed this last summer I sustained a rather large laceration to my left arm that severed an artery. Had it not been for the quick clot and direct sustained pressure from a tourniquet bleeding out was inevitable. I will say there was nothing sterile about the environment and bacterial infection was a great concern, yet again it's all about saving your life at that very moment. Just my experience, I understand doctors concernes and certainly respect that, but when SHTF, you do what needs to be done to save yours or your buddies life. :thumbsup:

 

[DickS]

When Coumadin is used as an anticoagulant, regular INR blood tests are necessary. An advertised advantage of other anticoagulants is that regular testing isn't necessary. But that presupposes that the anticoagulant effect is within the desired range. It is worth getting tested, just to make sure.

 

[Rifleman1776]

quick clot and direct sustained pressure

I'm not a doc and wasn't there. The bleed out may have been stopped with pressure alone. Really, I dunno. :idunno:
But, I am glad you survived and appreciate your service and sacrifice. atriot:

 

[Billnpatti]

I've been on warfarin for quite a few years. In that time, I have cut myself several times just doing the normal things one might be doing in their shop. Oh sure, I bleed more than if I was not on a thinner but it is not tragic. All of my cuts have been handled by applying pressure with whatever is at hand. Usually a piece of folded paper towel held in place by some duct tape for a while will do the job. Really, it's not the bug-a-boo that you think. Now, a really serious deep cut may well require a trip to the ER but you woluld be going to the ER for that kind of cut even if you weren't on a blood thinner. Just use caution and don't live in fear 'cause it just ain't that big of a deal.

Where your big fear should be is when it comes to striking your head such as if something heavy falls on your head or you fall and strike your head. Now, that is serious. When you are on a blood thinner and you strike your head forceably such as in a fall, you MUST IMMEDIATELY go to the ER, let them know what has happened and that you are on a blood thinner. It is possible to have a brain bleed that can do serious damage or even death of not treated properly. They will do a CAT scan of your head as soon as you arrive, probably keep you over night and repeat the CAT scan in the morning to be sure that somethign hasn't shown up over night. If all is okay, they will send you home to resume normal activities.

Blood thinners are carefully controlled by your doctor and just because you are on them, doesn't make you into a hemophylliac. But, always practice safety when using sharp instruments. It's just a good safety practice for all of us. If using a protective cut resistant glove when using sharp tools makes you feel better, do it. Heck, it ain't a bad idea for all of us.

 

[tenngun]

:thumbsup: big traumatic events require a change in thinking. A cut to the bone on a finger won't kill you unless you clotting times are way off, and pressure can stop that with out hurting the finger. A cut to the bone in the thigh will kill you unless it's stopped very quickly. A toniqute will stop that bleeding. You may risk the leg but you will save a life. It's better to prevent an infection instead of treating it. It's better to stop the bleeding then just protect from infection.
No matter how bad the injury is the most important to stay calm. You may have to ' make haste slowly'. Keep in mind that all bleeding will stop, you have time to think.

 

[thecapgunkid]

I can't really help you on the meds front because my four stents have only pushed me to 81 Mg baby aspirin.

But I'll tell you what...You're right to be concerned. The best thing you can do is to slow down and plan almost every move. Keeping your hands aft of the cutting direction and blade is the only way to be really safe.

It's not just chisels, either. Now I fear my moon and clicking knives and don't even think of cutting leather until I have planned and staged every stroke.

Also, don't work tired...

 

[Rifleman1776]

I can't really help you on the meds front because my four stents have only pushed me to 81 Mg baby aspirin.

But I'll tell you what...You're right to be concerned. The best thing you can do is to slow down and plan almost every move. Keeping your hands aft of the cutting direction and blade is the only way to be really safe.

It's not just chisels, either. Now I fear my moon and clicking knives and don't even think of cutting leather until I have planned and staged every stroke.

Also, don't work tired...

The best treatment is prevention. :hatsoff:

 

[Hoyt]

I've been taking Plavix and aspirin every day for many yrs. Had first balloon (4 total) and open-heart by-pass 26yrs ago. Then another open-heart by-pass surgery in 2001 and a couple months after that started with the stents. Got 7 so far in heart and one in throat artery. Cardiologist said I may need up to 13 in my heart and if I wanted to die to not take my Plavix.

I haven't changed my life style at all other than to be extra careful when bone out deer, etc. alone deep in woods.

Just about everything I own has blood stains and the most aggravating cuts are from briers when walking through woods. I don't know I'm bleeding til I see blood all down my arm or dripping off a finger.

I always carry the clotting sponge kit and bandaids in my backpack when hunting..never needed the kit yet. But my dog sneezed about a month ago while I was checking him for ticks and ripped my forearm just about the full length (just tore the skin off not into flesh)..was really hard to stop the bleeding and to change dressing while healing..took a long time to heal.

I avoid white sheets, light colored clothing, etc. and just always be mindful and for me the older I get the more fragile my skin and easier to cut or tear causing bleeding.

 

[freekforge]

Eric ask your doctor for some celox packets when they put my dad on thinners he lost a pint of blood from a nick on his head that you couldn't even see when it was cleaned up. I called his doctor that day and asked for them and he gave us like a hundred little packets of it. You can also pick up quikclot combat gauze or celox gauze in case you get a larger wound. I seen a guy with a 6" long to the bone gash on his leg from dropping a drawknife so be super careful.

a C.A.T. tournequet wouldn't be a bad idea either