Basic First Aid: Safely Removing the Victims Clothing
Author: tiger Published Under: Health
Since it is normal for a person to feel uncomfortable with a stranger removing their clothes, when preforming first aid, this should be avoided whenever possible. However, sometimes, especially if medical service is going to be delayed, it is necessary to remove a persons clothing, so you can better treat and access their wound.
It is important to be very careful when doing so, though, as this can be very painful.
Explain Your Actions and Ask Permission
Before doing anything, it is important to explain your intentions and reasoning to the victim, while asking for their consent. Often this can be done in a single sentence, such as "I am going to remove your shirt, so that I can dress your scrape, is that OK?"
What to Know: The Basics
Remember that removing clothing around a wound can often be incredibly painful, so if the person is extremely discomforted, it is often better to just wait for help to arrive.
This is especially true of removing a shoe if there is a foot or ankle injury. However when dealing with a foot injury, it is very important to get the shoe off before the foot begins to swell, as it will only be more painful later on.
It is also often easier to cut the clothes off and if you must, make sure you cut along the seam. When considering removing the victims clothes, work as smartly as possible. For example, do not try to remove a dress shirt over the head, but instead unbutton it.
Removing Sweaters and Shirts
If there is a chance that the person may have damaged their spine or back, upper-body garments, like sweaters or shirts, should not be removed. However, sometimes it is necessary to remove these garments to provide better access to the wound.
Begin with working on the side of the body that is not injured. Once the uninjured side is clear, roll the shirt up to the shoulder, then pull it over their head. As you remove it from their injured arm, make sure to work slowly and hold their arm as steady as possible.
Removing Shoes and Socks
With a foot or leg injury, getting the shoes off can be very important, because if swelling sets in, the shoe will be much more difficult and painful to remove. However, it can also be extremely painful.
First, untie the shoe and loosen it up as much as possible. It may be a good idea to remove some of the lace. Next, while supporting the foot under the ankle, slide the shoe off of the victims heal and then away from the toes.
When removing socks, it is often much easier to simply cut them, especially if there is swelling and the sock is tight. Otherwise, you can try to roll the sock down to remove it.
Removing the Pants
If you are trying to access a leg wound and the pants are too tight to be rolled or pulled up, cut them along the seam, but make sure to hold the pants so they are away from the leg.
Removing Helmets
In general, it is not advised to remove a persons helmet, unless it is medically necessary to treat their wound or if the helmet is making it difficult for them to breath.
To remove a full face helmet, such as a motorcycle helmet, or for that matter any helmet, it is best to have two people. Give one person the task of supporting the neck and head, keeping it as straight as possible. This person should keep one hand on the persons neck and the other on their jaw. The other person can undo the straps and pull the helmet off their head using the rim.
It is important for the person removing the helmet to sit behind the victims head, so that it is pulled straight off of their head. It may be necessary to tilt the motorcycle helmet to clear the chin and then back again, once the chin is cleared.
Bicycle helmets and other open faced helmets are easier to remove, but again it works best if there are two people; one to remove the helmet and one to hold the body still. Again, supporting the person under their neck and holding their jaw, the helmet should be removed by grasping the inside rim. Make sure to sit directly behind the persons head, so that when the helmet is removed it comes off straight.