Outdoor Survival Tips
Helpful Tips for New ATV Riders
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First Aid - Road Rash
It is important for the outdoor enthusiast to carry
the knowledge and material for treating "road rash" for several reasons. One is
they hurt, and proper treatment reduces pain, eventually. Another is that
untreated abrasions leave more noticeable scars. A third reason is to prevent
infection, and few wounds are more prone to infection than an abrasion.
The time it takes to properly treat an abrasion is
directly proportional to the size and strength of the victim. Wimpy people can
be held down while they are being vocally abusive as their wounds are thoroughly
cleaned and bandaged. With large, powerful patients, you'll want to get in and
get out fast.
Treatment:
- Irrigate the wound to remove loose
foreign material. Water will do fine, and any water safe to drink is safe to
clean wounds. This is best done with an irrigation syringe, a device that comes
in most first aid kits. Or fill a plastic bag with water and punch a pinhole in
it. The idea is to create a forceful stream to wash out dirt and debris. In the
process, you may, also, be washing out some of the germs.
- Vigorously scrub the abrasion. Some
first aid kits have cleansing pads especially made for abrasions and containing
a topical anesthetic. Cleansing pads allow you to wipe the abrasion gently
first, and wait about five minutes for the anesthetic to work. Warning: the
scrubbing is still quite painful, but absolutely necessary for safeguarding
against infection and tattooing (a unique form of scarring left by embedded
material). You can scrub with any clean cloth and any soap. Scrub until nothing
remains visible in the wound except raw meat.
- Rinse the wound again. If the scrubbing
has started some bleeding, you can just let it bleed or apply pressure with a
sterile gauze pad or sponge. Letting it bleed might be a bit better since the
patient is doing a little involuntary self-cleaning of the wound.
- When you have a clean, non-bleeding
wound, apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment (not cream, but ointment).
- Dress and bandage the wound. Dressings
go directly on the abrasion, and any non-adherent dressing will work. Spenco 2nd
Skin works really well, soothing with its coolness, protecting with its
rubbery-ness, allowing you to see through to watch the wound for signs of
infection. It can be left in place as long as no infection shows up. Over the
dressing goes the bandage. You can tape a gauze pad over the dressing, but
elastic wraps work better, being more secure. Stretch gauze is probably the
best: it conforms easily to the shape of the abraded body part, it is
lightweight, it is more difficult to put it on too tight (which can cut off
healthy blood flow).
Human skin is tough and resilient, fortunately, and
abrasions, with a little pre-planning, are easy to manage. We're lucky that way
. . . er, I mean, it could be worse!
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Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club visitors. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc.
ATV Club can not be held responsible for errors contained in this page or any
other section of this website. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club
strives to ensure that all our content is kept up-to-date. North East Wisconsin
Riders Inc. ATV Club is an all volunteer organization and please remember North
East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club is NOT offering any legal advice. We
are simply trying to raise awareness. As an ATV owner it is your responsibility
to know and understand the rules and regulations regarding your ATV and the
surrounding community. Lets all try to work together to educate each other.
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