How to Treat a bullet wound

Should you or a companion be injured in a shooting, whether as the result of a hunting accident or as the victim of a crime, the most important thing you can do is to contact emergency services right away. A bullet wound needs to be treated by a medical professional, and the quicker medical help arrives, the better the shooting victim's chances of survival.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Ice packs
• Sterile bandaging materials

1. Get yourself and the victim away from the scene of the shooting unless you are sure that the shooter has left the area. You need to be sure that you are not in immediate danger of further harm.
2. Contact emergency services right away. If you cannot get to a phone to call 911, you need to shout for help until you can locate someone who can place a call for you.
3. Keep the victim as still as possible so as not to aggravate injuries. Support the victim's head so it is on a level with the rest of the body. Try to have the victim lie down, and have the wound elevated above the level of the heart.
4. Check to see if the victim is breathing or if they have lost consciousness. Perform CPR if necessary.
5. Apply pressure to the wound to stop or slow bleeding. Maintain pressure for at least 10 minutes to allow blood clots to form. It is important to keep the pressure steady for those 10 (or more) minutes and not to peek at the wound.
6. Apply a cold ice pack to the wound if you have one. This can help the damaged blood vessels to close.
7. Apply a pressure dressing once the bleeding has subsided. Use the cleanest available bandage, cloth or gauze pad to cover the wound, then wrap it firmly, preferably with rolled gauze or an elastic (Ace-type) bandage. Don't apply the dressing so tightly that it cuts off circulation and the victim loses feeling in toes and fingertips.
8. Get the victim to a hospital emergency room right away. If 911 does not respond to your call or you are unable to make such a call, you will need to get the victim to the hospital yourself. All emergency room personnel are trained to deal with gunshot wounds, and the doctor will be able to clean the wound track and treat any damaged organs, bones or blood vessels.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to get the victim's insurance information (if any) before you arrive at the emergency room - they will start treatment without it, but at some point they are going to want this information.
• Never try to remove the bullet yourself - only a medical professional will have the necessary skill and equipment to make sure that the removal is both safe and sanitary.