Paramedic details why you should never remove an impaled object from a person’s body
The handy trick gives viewers some insight into how the
body works – and what not to do in stressful situations.
It’s more common than people think but when we imagine someone being impaled, it’s usually some massive, bloody movie scene where someone is stabbed with a knife or shot with a bow and arrow. In an heroic feat, they simply pull the weapon or object out of their body and continue their battle. However, a paramedic has detailed why doing this, should something similar happen to you in real life, isn’t the best idea.
In a clip uploaded onto social media app TikTok, a paramedic shows viewers a simple trick detailing how pulling out an item that has impaled you could cause more damage than good.
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In the clip, the paramedic, who goes by the handle @stolenambulance, fills up a bag of water and has three sticks at her side. One by one, she inserts the sticks through the bag and highlights how only a small amount of water leaks out of the bag.
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Naturally, the water represents the blood in your body. With the item still lodged into your body, you have the wound under as much control as possible. The paramedic goes on to remove the sticks, causing the water to spill out. This also happens to the blood in the damaged vessels and leads to internal bleeding, which can be fatal if not treated.
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When one viewer made a comment saying that the item has to come out eventually, the paramedic explains that doing so in a safer space could save your life. “Yes, but not you – the surgeon at the hospital where there’s lots of resources and access to blood products so… stabilise it with whatever bandaging you can find and call an ambulance,” she explains.
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After watching the video, one user said that this seemed to be like common sense and is shocked that people’s first reaction is to remove the item from their body without understanding the repercussions.
“It may seem like common sense when you’re calm and in control of the situation,” the paramedic points out. "But in a stressful, adrenaline-charged situation, your prefrontal cortex – the rational, decision-making part of your brain – switches off and you’re stuck with your amygdala, the lizard brain part of your brain, which might make some not-so-smart decisions.”
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Image courtesy: TikTok