Ascent line on a spar

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Something that is hardly ever discussed in AR chatter is preparing the victim for transport. As arbos we always think that getting the victim to the ground is the best plan. If high angle rescue folks are brought into the discussion they'll generally prep for transport by neck bracing and possibly back boarding first. ALWAYS do a proper assessment and triage before transport.

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You've hit on a real important point here Tom,
as usual all us climbers are concerned about is the technical details with the ropes and different systems for rescue.
When the main concern should be focused on the victim, their condition/medical priorities.
In the rush to get them out the tree we might make a bad injury worse. I think a new post on this issue would be a very good idea.
Calling on all treeworkers who've had to deal with injured victims on the worksite. We might get some good response/info.
 
I'm kinda sharing this with my wife as I read and she's asked about body retrieval. She feels that if someone's "hurt all the way" that the body should me lowered with respect to the remains for the sake of the family if there is one. I dissagree and take note that if I get killed in the air no one under any circumstances should take any risk in getting my body down. I insist, cut and flop. Not to hijack the post but what are some of your thoughts on this? Whiz
 
Wow, that's deep. Alright Whiz,I'll tell you what I think. You are both right! The body of any treeclimber should be treated with respect! They are our brothers and sisters! And they led a life that was honorable and real. However, cut and flop won't really accomplish that. I agree that you should not become a second fatality/victim, but if it is at all possible, it should be handled with pride and diligence.

What a difficult discussion this could be.
 
true about pics,

on that AR assessment, i teach that if there is no life threatening circumstance.... wait until more qualified medical help arrives to take charge of the victim(of course there is still a good chance that you will still make the rescue) the reason for this is: most(ok all!) tree crews do not carry the items that Tom mentioned ie. neck and back support, so if it was my buddy up there, i would go up and try to make him comfortable and calm and wait for the EMS


If at any time the victim stops breathing or loses pulse(Capillary refill), then down to the ground we come, it does not matter if his neck is broken when he is not breathing
 
Thats pretty much the standard procedure taught over here.

Start getting involved in anything more than basic first aid and you need paramedic training - whole different ball game!
 
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I dissagree and take note that if I get killed in the air no one under any circumstances should take any risk in getting my body down. I insist, cut and flop.

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Man! That would be gross. I get sick thinking about it.

I couldn't do that. I'd feel as if it would be respectful of a friend to keep a person as in tact as possible.
 
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I dissagree and take note that if I get killed in the air no one under any circumstances should take any risk in getting my body down. I insist, cut and flop.

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I'll cut and flop you, no problem....we can even fix it so you land in the chipper in feed, straight through - in with the chips, continue on with the job. Back home for a beer.
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Tom,

I can't respond to your PM.... I guess that i am not in the "cool club"
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If anybody was wondering about capillary refill, this is a method of checking pulse on a victim. This is a newer method that the Red Cross has found better for people that are not professional medical types(ok that would be most of us) this method requires you to press the tip of your victim's finger and then look for their fingernail and surrounding area to change back to a red color. This can also be preformed on the gums.

if the fingernail or gums do not change back to red, then you need to bring the victim down and start CPR

Rob
 
After reading some feedback I've changed how I feel about body retrieval. I'd want my remains lowered with respect and my dignity intact...until Grover and Rat fed me through and cracked a beer in my honor. Whiz
 
Rob,

There's no secret 'Cool Guy' club here...everyone is a member of the "Cool Gal/Guy Treebuzz Club'. I have my PM reply turned off since anyone can leave me an email via Treebuzz or my personal email.

When did you learn about capillary refill from the Red Cross? Which class or office taught that? I'd like to learn more about using that as a way to determine the need to start CPR.

There are other reasons for not having quick capillary refill. For over 20 years I've taught that method for determining whether a person is hydrated properly in the summer or Minnesota winters. In winter air that is dry every exhale will loose a small amount of water. The colder the weather the more is lost to respiration. The blood will thicken with less water so the capillary refill is slower.

Another reason for slow capillary refill could be from the bodies reaction to cold. The cold doesn't have to be below freezing. Think of hypothermia weather, below fifty, rainy, wet clothes. The body looses a lot of heat and will start to shut down the extremities to conserve precious heat. A finger tip pinch is a good indicator of some of the early signs of a possible dangerous slip into hypothermia.
 
In the latest version of first aid that i am certified in(less than a month ago) they are teaching cap. refill, In a rescue situation, this would be the reccomended(by me) choice.... less chance of a missed pulse in a very stressful situation.

have they changed the standards? I was told they have. Maybe the standards are different for professional EMTs

either way, it's good to know both methods

rob
 
definitely have to disagree with the cap refill check, arborcare is right on this one, it's only recommended for patients under 6 and it's a horribly vague way to determine patient stability; it's actually used to check oxygen content in the blood.

there's a reason they teach you how to check pulse and blood pressure and your abc's as an EMERGENCY responder, these are the clearest methods we have of patient evaluation in a serious situation. stick to the methods that emt's paramedics trauma docs nurses use, learning to check pulse is NOT that difficult, and learning to distinguish the difference of a rapid pulse slow pulse etc... takes a bit of time, but it's possible.

jp
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