daredevilkink | Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

Once upon a time, it was common practice to tightly wrap someone's chest to "stabilize" rib fractures. This fell out of fashion well over a decade ago because it could lead to a number of serious complications including collapsed lung, pneumonia, and tissue death.

The ways wrapping contributes to further injury are two-fold: a wrap can actually push rib fragments into the chest cavity, causing trauma to the lungs or other structures, and the wrap constricts breathing. When you don't take full breaths, mucous and moisture can build up in the unused lung tissue leading to pneumonia and/or tissue death. Uncomplicated, "simple" rib fractures are treated with ice, pain meds, and limited activity. Complicated, or displaced rib fractures generally require surgery to repair the rib with internal fixation (pinning or plating).

If anyone has any questions about emergency medical care, I've worked for 20 years in veterinary medicine, mostly in specialty practice/emergency and critical care, which is very similar to its human counterpart. I've treated injuries as diverse as gunshot/knife/arrow/machete/spear wounds, venomous snake bites, other animal bites, massive multiple trauma (hit by car, long falls, etc - even a hit by train), burns of varying degree and cover, smoke inhalation, toxic ingestion, drug OD, electric shock, drowning... almost any sort of emergency you could think of.

I am also certified in human CPR, first aid, & wilderness first aid, with additional training specific to natural disasters and similar large-scale emergencies.

Ace Ventura anon! Your last thread was so cool, I'm sad I didn't have anything to ask.

Thanks!

Would it be alright to just ask for a story if you have time?
I'm curious about the train

(OP)

Not a great case. She was a young adult German Short Haired Pointer who vanished during a quail hunt. Her family found her a few hours later near the train tracks. She had lost most of one hind leg and half of the other, and she had some pretty significant lacerations. They rushed her in.

She was in extremely critical condition in shock and septic, and we actually recommended euthanasia. They weren't ready say goodbye. We fought to stabilize her overnight with fluids, dextrose, pain meds, antibiotics, meds for her blood pressure, etc.

She pulled through to the next morning, but after having a night to consider what they would be looking at as far as cost of surgeries, a couple of weeks of hospitalization, then months of homecare or boarding with their primary care vet, extensive PT, a wheelchair, then quality of life concerns (which I personally don't think would've been an issue post-recovery)… anyway, they ultimately decided to let her go.

Holy shit. I didn't think she was gonna make it past the second paragraph. I can't even imagine how much work you put in.
I don't know much about dogs, her surviving the initial injury is surprising to me
Is that more like 'human survives leg amputation' odds or 'flight attendant survives 30,000 foot fall' odds?

(OP)

It was definitely a long night with few breaks, but we were able to keep her comfortable long enough to let her family say goodbye on their own terms.

I couldn't say for certain what the odds of her surviving the accident were, but they must've been pretty slim. Nothing like a 30,000 foot fall, but certainly worse than a simple amputation. I would think that a typical, healthy human would be more likely to survive being hit by a train than a medium sized dog, just because of body mass.

That she survived those particular injuries for several hours before receiving medical care is certainly unlikely, but not shockingly so. The injuries to her limbs involved crushing; that helped temper the bleeding, which is certainly the aspect of traumatic partial limb loss that is most likely to be fatal very quickly.

Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

Medical Q&A part 2! & PSA: Rib fracture care

Re: Medical Q&A part 2! & PSA: Rib fracture care

Re: Medical Q&A part 2! & PSA: Rib fracture care

Re: Medical Q&A part 2! & PSA: Rib fracture care

TW!!!!! Bad things happen to a dog!!!!!

Re: TW!!!!! Bad things happen to a dog!!!!!

Re: TW!!!!! Bad things happen to a dog!!!!!