Trauma Training

[jet66]

Basically the gist I am getting is that, unless you work in a clinical setting or in a direct tactical/battle environment, the odds of coming across these types of wounds is going to be pretty far and few between. I would imagine that this type of 'perishable skill' is very 'perishable' if one isn't likely to encounter scenarios where such a skill is needed.

While I find it very fascinating and would love to learn such a skill, it seems that the practicality of doing so (along with the requirement to re-certify on a regular basis) is not be there. My wife is a former USAF medic, she worked in an ER setting for much of her time, currently works as a dialysis tech (but still holds an EMT cert) as well as being a trad. reservist. (Mental Health Tech.) She has pretty much conveyed that message when we've talked about what is prudent for me to know and what is beyond a reasonable expectation of what I (or she, now) would likely ever encounter.

Maybe I've just been lucky for the last 46 years, but beyond basic stopping of bleeding (some pretty deep, but nothing arterial,) some 2nd degree burn care (one pretty serious, large affected area,) and wrapping a few sprains in the woods, I've not had to use too much of what I have learned, including CPR and the Heimlich.

[Hmac]

like i said...its debated...

and every tube I've seen go into a chest (and that's a lot) is associated with a gush of air, blood, or pus....doesn't mean it's a tension.

Yes. I agree. But since mean intrathoracic pressure is normally negative, it does demonstrate that normal ventilatory mechanics can pump a fair amount of air in there, even in non-traumatic situations and where mechanical ventilation isn't being used. As we've already agreed, tension pneumothorax is generall rare in ANY situation.