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First Aid/Questions Answered by Expert Dave Hammond
| Subject | Date Asked |
| roll over accident protocall | 12/29/2011 |
| Q: What is em room level 3 trauma care protocol in a roll over accident? How can they let someone leave ... A: While I am not able to answer you second question regarding accountability, I have provided some ... | |
| My son has a pus looking spot on top of his head! | 9/26/2011 |
| Q: Its Marlene a mother of an autistic 5yr old who has high pain threshold. I just now noticed He has ... A: Hard to be exact, but a guess would be roughly 3-5 weeks since the cut occurred. Also keep in mind ... | |
| My son has a pus looking spot on top of his head! | 9/26/2011 |
| Q: Its Marlene a mother of an autistic 5yr old who has high pain threshold. I just now noticed He has ... A: You are doing all the right things as it sounds like the cut has healed. Keep applying antibiotic ... | |
| Cut on index finger | 9/19/2011 |
| Q: Last night while bartending I was putting away margarita glasses & I was trying to fit one on a full ... A: It sounds like you did everything right. If the redness and swelling continue to increase and the ... | |
| head injury | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: I manage a preschool and a toddler fell and hit their head today. This happens and we treated it ... A: Your protocol for managing this incident is correct. While I have not seen this approach used for ... | |
| Overdose? | 7/25/2011 |
| Q: I don't know the exact amounts, but I took 5 pills of Wellbutrin, 5 pills of Luvox, 5 multivitamins, ... A: The key thing now is to for you and hopefully someone near you to watch for any signs or symptoms of ... | |
| my fingernail is gone | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: i have solar nail on and one got ripped off and ripped my natural nail off. i have been putting ... A: You are doing everything right..Keep it clean, covered with antibiotic ointment, and dry. The finger ... | |
| Ingrown hair | 7/1/2011 |
| Q: "I have hair on my shaft only a 3rd the way up and couple of days ago down there started to get ... A: First thing is to keep the area clean and dry. I would not recommend trying to squeeze the pimple as ... | |
| Throbbing and swollen finger | 6/28/2011 |
| Q: This morning I unintentionally hit the couch with my left foot and it hurt my baby finger. It is ... A: Your question was a bit confusing in that you hit the couch with your left foot and hurt your baby ... | |
| Cut on finger | 5/5/2011 |
| Q: Hey Dave is have a question. My dog bit me on My finger about three days ago, it was a pretty deep ... A: The pain you still feel comes from the trauma of the bite and minor damage done to the nerve endings ... | |
| gunshot wound | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: Mr. Hammond. I just recently noticed you guys answered a question for an aspiring author and was ... A: Given the scenario, a direct shot to the head/face, upper chest or abdomen would create a life ... | |
| pointing finger cut | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: i had a cut in back side of my pointing finger while i was trying to remove the dvd player in my ... A: It is common to have some loss of feeling from such a cut since the nerve endings are very close to ... | |
| swollen hands | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: i am an ex iv drug user, last use was approx. 1 1/2 years ago. did heroin for roughly 7 years. ... A: My initial thought is that it could be related to the previous staph infections. Realizing that ... | |
| foot pain | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I have no idea what I did to my foot, but several weeks ago it started hurting when I walked. The ... A: Given that the pain came on as a result of no injury, my first thought is nerve pain that can be ... | |
| My fingernail | 12/24/2010 |
| Q: I had got my nails done yesterday, as I was driving to make a U turn my pinky nail was ripped off ... A: First thing is to line up the broken half in a normal position and wrap the finger nail up to the ... | |
| deep cut in finger | 12/8/2010 |
| Q: i cut my finger on a broken fluorescent lightbulb, i keep it clean as best as possible and wrapped ... A: It appears that you are doing all the right things. The color white is most likely due to the cut ... | |
| Cut | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: I recently punched out my drivers side window due to getting mad and got a small cut about two ... A: The swelling and bruising is due to blood under the skin which can be managed by applying cold ... | |
| Glass in my pinky. | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: About 4 weeks ago I was cleaning a punch bowl and it broke in my hand. The cut was at the 2nd bend ... A: These kinds of finger cuts, although not necessarily deep or big, usually impact small blood vessels ... | |
| ant bites | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: What is in the venom of the ant that causes the pus and swelling after it bites? Fish A: The compound in the venom that causes this reaction is called alkaloids. Once you are stung, these ... | |
| Gun Shot Wound | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: I am writing a story for school, and the main character gets shot. What I want to know is that if ... A: If the character was shot in the arm or leg, there is a good chance she would not immediately be ... | |
| thumb upper joint cut | 7/15/2010 |
| Q: I had a cut on the joint of my thumb with knife on 20.06.2010.next day i took tetanus inj and ... A: I have two thoughts for you. The first is that deep cuts to the fingers will almost always cause ... | |
| Epinephrine Shot | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: I'm writing a story in which my main character is poisoned by her crazy ex-boyfriend. He puts tons ... A: Individuals who have allergic reactions and their family/friends, etc., are well aware how quickly ... | |
| Swollen Hand Insect Bite | 7/7/2010 |
| Q: I was bitten by some sort of insect yesterday, three times in a very small space on the back of my ... A: If you have given the antihistamines 24 hours to work and are seeing the redness/swelling ... | |
| my ankle | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: i didnt feel sore after but my ankles did (mostly my left ankle, the foot that supports my kick) and ... A: It could well be that the tendons and muscles supporting and holding the ankle are over stressed. I ... | |
| first aide? | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: Ok so this isn't exactly a first aide question, but I needed to ask a question to a doctor or ... A: Your question is outside of my field but would suggest you go do a search on terms such as 'keeping ... | |
| toenail injury | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: my son had his toe smashed by a door when he was going to class. It was bleeding, but he said he ... A: Given that nail seems to have take most of the blow, it mostly likely will fall off and be replaced ... | |
| Thumb cut | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: Are you supposed to hold your thumb upright after being cut, so the blood drains down? Also, what ... A: Holding the thumb upright may help in reducing the pressure on the cut, but is not necessary. Once ... | |
| Semi Deep Cut | 6/2/2010 |
| Q: Well my friend recently got a semi deep cut that happened by accident from a razor sharp knife. From ... A: Keep direct pressure on the wound which should control the bleeding. Be patient and do not remove ... | |
| cut off (de-gloved) thumb | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: What is the timeframe a person has to sew on a cut off thumb . they call it de-gloved because the ... A: Hard questions to answer. If the piece was not able to be attached due to it condition, then the ... | |
| cut off (de-gloved) thumb | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: What is the timeframe a person has to sew on a cut off thumb . they call it de-gloved because the ... A: If one kept the avulsed skin cool and moist, I would offer a time frame of 24 hours. Are you ... | |
| Is it possible to jury-rig an IV | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I am a budding author and I hope you will forgive me for asking a rather bizarre question for a ... A: While I have never seen it done, except in the movies, the principle is very straightforward. Having ... | |
| Finger puncture wound | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I work at a cat clinic. 2 days ago I was bit by a cat on my ring finger. One wound right above my ... A: While you have done all the rights things and the swelling should subside if no signs of infection ... | |
| cut on middle finger | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: I cut my middle finger with a razor the cut is right on one of the lines on my finger the cut fairly ... A: The wound should close and heal on its own given your description. Keep it dry and clean for now and ... | |
| pneomnia | 5/4/2010 |
| Q: I have had brownish phlem for 1.5 years. 1 year ago, I was given pennacillin, but it didn't cure ... A: Your question is outside my field, but I can provide some suggestions to you. Go back to see your ... | |
| bone deep cut | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: it started to bleed a few seconds later. i covered it with a gauze and applied pressure. i can move ... A: Keep the wound clean and as soon as it starts to scab over place a little antibiotic ointment on the ... | |
| inj Vit. K | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: Can we use injection vitamin k after some minutes if injection tranexamic acid doesn't work to stop ... A: Can't give you direct answer on this...The current preference in both military and civilian field ... | |
| deep cut on finger | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: I was using a rotary cutter to cut some fabric for sewing. I slipped, and it ran into my index ... A: The dark color is due to bleeding under the skin. It sounds like you did all the right things to ... | |
| Low blood pressure? | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: Hey, i already asked about skull crack but now i got new question. Might be the cause of the ... A: First question is: Have you felt dizzy like this before the head banging?. If the dizziness ... | |
| dog bite | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: this morning I was bitten by a dog, and I'm sure it's not vaccinated since it's from outside. I'm ... A: First of all if you notice spreading redness, swelling, or pus coming from the wound you need to see ... | |
| Cracked skull? | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: So about i dont know...one and a half week ago i hit back of my head when i jumped on the couch on ... A: From what you describe, I would guess that you might well have given yourself a concussion, which ... | |
| toe cut by glass | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: Now it bled about 16oz of blood if not more before i made it to the ER. The Dr that looked at my ... A: I would not worry about the toe. Cuts to the fingers and toes often affect the nerve endings causing ... | |
| About GSW emergency treatment, and afterwards. | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: I'm wondering if you can help me with my story. My victim was shot in the shoulder by a SIG Sauer ... A: Virtually every Navy Ship either has either a Doctor or an Independent Duty Corpsman on board. ... | |
| multiple GSWs | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: i have a female character who's been shot first in the upper right thigh, by a 9mm and not in close ... A: In reference to the first case. it could easily take 4-6 weeks for the wound to heal given the soft ... | |
| bad cut with a knife | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: ago i cut my thumb with a cooking knife pretty bad. It was bleeding really bad so i put a pad and ... A: Keep direct pressure on the wound on the wound to stop the bleeding. If the first pad soaks through ... | |
| I cut the top of my finger about 3mm | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I cut the top of my finger about 3mm with a very sharp cutting knife, The cut sliced in raising a ... A: Sounds like you are doing all the right things. While the flap of skin may eventually need to be ... | |
| cut on finger | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: about 2 weeks ago I cut my right index finger pretty bad, I should of had stitches but with no ... A: It sounds like you do have a localized infection under the cut. The first thing is to soak the ... | |
| Rusty nail | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: My son who is 7 stepped on a rusty nail yesterday. Today there is some redness and swelling in whole ... A: Clean the wound thoroughly with warm soap and water if you haven't already done so. Because of the ... | |
| my middle finger | 2/12/2010 |
| Q: i was opening a can of tune the tuna can was going to fall so i grabbed it fast and cut my finger ... A: Caitlin; Take a washcloth or other clean cloth and apply direct pressure on the finger for at least ... | |
| dagger wounds to the lungs | 2/8/2010 |
| Q: okay, so I am writing a book and I have a few questions. 1) If a dagger was throw and it plunged ... A: Don't understand your first question regarding,"How would a person have to jump to hit a major blood ... | |
| dagger wounds to the lungs | 2/6/2010 |
| Q: okay, so I am writing a book and I have a few questions. 1) If a dagger was throw and it plunged ... A: If the dagger hit the lung is would certainly penetrate and damage the lung. If removed, the injured ... | |
| Pain killers for gun shot wounds | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: Ok, I have a question. I'm a writer and this is the first story I've written dealing with weapons. I ... A: IF the bullet went clean through the shoulder without striking a major blood vessel, then it is ... | |
| Pain in lower lung | 1/31/2010 |
| Q: My daughter is 12 and she starting complaining yesterday that she is swore on both sides of her ... A: Based on your description, your daughter could have strained the muscles between the ribs called ... | |
| Fatal stab wound | 1/12/2010 |
| Q: I've read your recent answers, but they don't quite answer my question. I'm writing a mystery novel ... A: Answers to your questions: To be immediately fatal the knife should be inserted just below the ... | |
| Gunshot Wound to Abdoment | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: Assuming a gunshot wound to the abdomen hit no vitals or vessels or anything, I would like to know ... A: Under those assumptions, depending on the caliber, the victim would be conscious and in no immediate ... | |
| gunshot wound shoulder | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: A friend of mine was shot at point blank range with a 357 mag in the shoulder it entered the chest ... A: Sorry for the delay in responding. The numbness and lack of strength in the arm would indicate some ... | |
| Writer - how to treat minor gunshot wound | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: I'm in the process of writing a play, and I have a question regarding treatment of a gunshot wound. ... A: As long as the projectile did not strike a major blood vessel your character could make it a small ... | |
| knife wound to back | 12/9/2009 |
| Q: I had a few questions about being stabbed in the back, just below the rib cage/lower rib cage. I'm ... A: Keeping the lungs clear and watching for infection would be the next level of aftercare. The ... | |
| knife wound to back | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: I had a few questions about being stabbed in the back, just below the rib cage/lower rib cage. I'm ... A: Let's assume the lung injury. Breathing would be difficult and the victim would need to be ... | |
| knife wound to back | 12/4/2009 |
| Q: I had a few questions about being stabbed in the back, just below the rib cage/lower rib cage. I'm ... A: If they got stabbed below the rib cage, the chance of hitting the lung are slim since, they sit ... | |
| severed arm | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: So I've been stressed lately, and have been having some exceedingly weird dreams - the latest was a ... A: Cauterizing the blood vessels in a wound to 'seal the ends' does work and is actually used in ... | |
| Gunshot Wound to Arm | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I'm yet another writer, doing research. I've read a bunch of answers on this site but just want to ... A: The key to being able to tie it off is that one can see the bleeding vessel. Given that we are ... | |
| Gunshot Wound to Arm | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: I'm yet another writer, doing research. I've read a bunch of answers on this site but just want to ... A: An ordinary piece of string could also be used to tie off a bleeder. The advantage of tying off the ... | |
| ATV accident, hard hit on chest | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: 36 yrs old,I was just riding my atv, rode down a slight hill and hit a mound of dirt sending the ... A: Impacts like these can create a couple of issues. The first, which obviously you don't have, is that ... | |
| Gunshot Wound to Arm | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: I'm yet another writer, doing research. I've read a bunch of answers on this site but just want to ... A: Let's suppose it was a 38 caliber pistol and the round/projectile severed the brachial artery.With ... | |
| Dog Bite Numb Fingertip | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: Dave, I unfortunately tried to stop my dog from fighting with his friend yesterday and my finger ... A: The numbness and tingling would indicate that some of the nerves in the finger were affected by the ... | |
| cut my left thumb | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: I cut the very tip of my left thumb off with a sushi knife about a week and a half ago. It was a ... A: Given the wound was deep and clean, the presence of blisters and the scab over the wound would ... | |
| finger/nerve damage | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: i had a dog bite on the right middle finger.it has healed after two months. i can bend it somewhat. ... A: Since the fingers have a great deal of nerve endings close to the skin, this type of injury affects ... | |
| table saw v. fingers | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: The saw won, of course, so now I am recovering. I was told no nerve or bone damage (well, little ... A: Pain is always proportionate to the injury..Sorry to hear about this and glad you literally dogged a ... | |
| metal in thumb | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: a small piece of metal punctured my nail and skin and has lodged itself under my nail. it is very ... A: I wouldn't worry about poisoning right away. The question is; Will the tissue around the metal ... | |
| Finger Cut | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: I accidently cut the inside of my "right hand pointing finger", while opening a tin. It was bleeding ... A: The fingers have a large amount of nerve endings close to the skin. Both the feeling of electric ... | |
| A fib first aid | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: I am a 70 year old male who has had 3 A Fib events in the past 2 years and 10 months. 12/06 event ... A: There is early evidence which indicates that slow deep breaths can have an impact on reducing blood ... | |
| Naval Piercing | 10/4/2009 |
| Q: I got my naval pierced in may, 2009 (about 4 months ago). the piercing did not bleed, get crusty, ... A: Take the piercing out, clean with isopropyl alcohol and let dry. It sounds like you have a local ... | |
| Swollen and possibly infected ankle? | 9/28/2009 |
| Q: I wore a new pair of shoes and it rubbed skin off my ankle and started to bleed. I washed it and ... A: After seeing the picture, the black and blue area would indicate some minor bleeding under the skin. ... | |
| cracked rib | 9/22/2009 |
| Q: I have a cracked rib. I cant do anything! I have a 18 month old son by myself and have to take care ... A: Here are my thoughts: Apply ice to the area when you are at home. Purchase a tube of pain relief ... | |
| gunshot wound treatment | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Mr. Hammond. I know you've answered similar questions before, but I'd like some detail on a unique ... A: Here are my thoughts. If the bullet did not hit any major blood vessels, nerves or shatter the ... | |
| fingernail damage | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: In august of this year (2009) my son (17 years) spent 22 days in the High Sierra on an outward Bound ... A: The issues with your son's fingernails are commonly associated with High Altitude where the oxygen ... | |
| scrape | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: In the last few years I have been scraping my arm inadvertently. My car door or the bathroom door of ... A: Couple of things you can do. Roller bandage is a gauze material that comes 3" wide and almost 24" ... | |
| Finger Cut | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: My Mom dropped a glass on a tile floor that shattered to pieces. She told me she was trying to ... A: With the cut no longer bleeding it will take at least a week before you see visible signs of ... | |
| Treating gunshot wound in the wilderness. | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: Hammonds, The fictional situation I'd like some advice on is as follows: victim has been shot in ... A: If the bullet passed through the arm without hitting major blood vessels, control the bleeding first ... | |
| Treating gunshot wound in the wilderness. | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: Hammonds, The fictional situation I'd like some advice on is as follows: victim has been shot in ... A: Let's walk through this... A shotgun is capable of shooting both a slug round (1 significant ... | |
| Glass wound | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: About 4 days ago my hand went through a glass window. A piece of glass cut my head and this morning ... A: Nick; If the piece of glass is in your head and the wound is almost healed over, I would be ... | |
| Bleeding Under Skin | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: My grandma shut her hand in the door, and she has two red spots under the first layer of her skin, ... A: It sounds like the door has broken a couple of blood vessels under the skin. The blood will pool ... | |
| cut in hand | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: i stabbed myself on the side of my hand with a knife really deeped. my friend that took medical ass. ... A: Couple of thoughts. Was the knife clean? Meaning was it for cutting food or a pocket/utility knife. ... | |
| First Aid | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: Can First Aid be different in different areas? If yes. then how? Please give me a detailed answer. ... A: By definition, First Aid is the immediate care given to the sick and injured. The latest first aid ... | |
| First Aid | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: I cut my left index finger at the middle knuckle with a hand held grinder. I was cutting steel in a ... A: Rocky; Given where the cut is and how deep it is, I would be inclined to get an xray and have it ... | |
| Gunshot wounds in village in a developing nation | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: I'm writing a screenplay that takes place in Mozambique. A character is shot in a village about ... A: Couple of questions. Where was the victim shot? extremities,head, trunk, etc...What was he/she shot ... | |
| small burn | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: Hammond The other day my should accidentally touched (for a split second) one of those artificial ... A: From what you described,it sounds more like a second degree burn. Keep the burn dry and clean for ... | |
| gunshot wounds | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I am an author and I have a few questions about gunshot wounds. I have a character who is wounded in ... A: As a former Navy Medic I can help you out with this. If the character was wounded at close range ... | |
| cracked ribbs | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: I recently went to the ER and was told I cracked my 2nd rib where it turns in to cartilage. They ... A: These type of injuries often take at least a couple of weeks before you can resume your normal ... | |
| nerve damage to both index fingers | 6/19/2009 |
| Q: i woke up 2 days ago with both index fingers screaming with pain. the right one was slightly less, ... A: Not a quick and easy answer on this. If injury or insect bite can be ruled out, then the cause might ... | |
| Sliced part of finger off | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: My mom was slicing vegetables today and she inadvertently sliced off a piece of her index finger. ... A: Hydrogen Peroxide can sometimes cause mild damage to open wounds. Without knowing the severity of ... | |
| Sliced part of finger off | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: My mom was slicing vegetables today and she inadvertently sliced off a piece of her index finger. ... A: To remove the remaining piece of gauze, try soaking the finger in a bowl of luke warm water. It may ... | |
First Aid
Answers by Expert:
Dave Hammond
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
What topics should a first aid kit cover? All aspects of keeping first aid skills and confidence current after training. New training and product technology.
Experience
US Navy Medic 1970-1974, Director of Medic training for US Navy, First aid instructor. 35 years in developing new first aid products. Multiple patent holder on new generation of first aid kits.
Publications
Compliance Magazine "Ask the experts"
Education/Credentials
B.A. Eastern New Mexico State, M.Ed George Washington University
Awards and Honors
2002 Inductee NJ Inventor's Hall of Fame, Receipent of Good Housekeeping Best Buy in first aid kits, IParenting Media Award, Family Review Organziation 5 Star product review.
Past/Present Clients
Fortune 500 companies both US and worldwide along with Federal Government and general consumres
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