rmemedic
Well-known member
Aren't there Good Samaritan Laws in Canada?
http://www.canadianlawsite.ca/goodsamaritan.htm
Yeah, but the issue is I'm "trained". So I can go as far as I'm legally allowed. If I come up to a scene, and say someone is bleeding through a femoral artery, I am not legally allowed to grab one of my tourniquets and stop the bleeding, despite the fact it would save the life from possible death within minutes. The reason, is they are still controversial in the "old boys club" of medicine, despite all the research put in to them as to their risk vs reward.
In vietnam, 25% of battle field deaths were by loss of blood through wounds in the limbs. With what we do now, that number is very, very low and in those cases there were either other complications or the bleed was in a spot that you couldn't properly put on the tourniquet or pack the wound.
That said, if I tried all of my other options to stop the bleeding, and they weren't working, I would put on the tourniquet and take whatever slap I get.
They are worried about loss of the limb after the use of a tourniquet, but you can have them on as long as 6 HOURS without permanent damage.
Aside from that, I can do almost anything else. Put in airways, C-Spine victims, splint fractures, basically anything to keep someone alive until help gets there.