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Wilderness first aid?

i am taking a wilderness first aid class where they train you in first aid and what to do if help is more that 45 minutes away. i just learned D O T S and the fully body hands physical exam. dots stands for "Deformity, Open injuries, Tenderness and Swelling". When is it necessary for a full body pyshical exam? or dots?

Public Comments

1. when you don't know what happend exactly, if you encounter an accident scene you have no idea how messed up the people are, if it happened to you, well you should have a good idea of what got hurt.

2. In EMS we use DCAP-BTLS(deformities,contusions,abrasions,punctures/perforations,burns,tenderness,lacerations and swelling). DOTS is easier to remember and covers the main things. This method is used on an unconcious patient or one with an altered level of conciousness when they can't tell you what happened or what hurts. Just don't forget the ABC's a perfectly splinted open fracture is ugly, but a compromised airway is deadly.

3. depends on the situation. as a first responder emt paramedic army medic or any other trainings you get provide you with the knowlege to decode a situation to provide accurate care. for example when i arrive on a scene of a wreck as a fire fighter i look at how the vehicle was hit and where the individual is. is he or she responding? if they can tell you pain then you view the area. along with that make sure they can wiggle their extremeties. at that point you know that things are working and damage is minimal until their addrenalin runs out.when arriving on a car wreck its always good to check back and limb pains and feelings. out on a hiking trail unless you fall and hit somthing damage 9 times out of 10 are minimal. expand your education. take more classes if youd like to learn more.