Femoral bleedout - Warning *GRAPHIC*

[Arctic1]

Here is a video showing a suspect take a single 7.62 to the thigh, with following femoral bleeding:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e8gGXZDRY0

It is hard to assess how long the casualty maintained consciousness, as the video is slightly edited. I am also not sure if the casualty is actually dead by the end of the video, or unconscious with late stage shock (Level II-III).

I think that the video shows two things, albeit paradoxical observations:

1. You have some time to attend to an arterial bleed
2. You need to stop arterial bleeds quickly, as things can go south fast if you don't.

[Abraxas]

Here is a video showing a suspect take a single 7.62 to the thigh, with following femoral bleeding:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e8gGXZDRY0

It is hard to assess how long the casualty maintained consciousness, as the video is slightly edited. I am also not sure if the casualty is actually dead by the end of the video, or unconscious with late stage shock (Level II-III).

I think that the video shows two things, albeit paradoxical observations:

1. You have some time to attend to an arterial bleed
2. You need to stop arterial bleeds quickly, as things can go south fast if you don't.

I am curious to know the actual time it took.

[Wake27]

You'd think putting direct pressure on it would be almost an instinct, but obviously not. Same thing happens in the video from Columbine. Kid got shot through the abdomen and just kinda sat down and put his head on the table like he already accepted he was going to die. It probably wouldn't have done a whole lot for either of these guys since no one else is really around to help, but its better than nothing.

[Hizzie]

I watched the unedited version as part of a class. Caught my instructor today (different class) and video is 4 min total. Dies (no movement) around 3 min mark.

[Arctic1]

I am curious to know the actual time it took.

My assessment is that the guy isn't dead yet, just unconcious and circling the drain.....if he is in irreversible shock is hard to say.

[Hot Holster]

My assessment is that the guys isn't dead yet, just unconcious and circling the drain.....if he is in irreversible shock is hard to say.

I tend to agree, though he's pretty close to death. If you look close at his back/chest area just before the video ends, I think there is a very shallow breath movement.

[sadmin]

Is a gunshot wound in that zone common or rare in combat? How large is the zone that can be hit by the bullet and sever that artery? I mean, I know the bullet will flip and yaw, but with as much emplasis as it takes to get a spinal coloumn hit, does the same apply to the femoral zone, or is it if you just hit the upper thigh with a rifle caliber it will likely be damaged?

[Arctic1]

Anterior view:



As to how common/easy it is to injure the femoral artery, that is hard to say. Vessels can expand and contract quite a bit, especially arteries, and are considered elastic tissue.

I don't think it is realistic to intentionally aim for it, and expect to hit it.

[Failure2Stop]

I don't think it is realistic to intentionally aim for it, and expect to hit it.

It's a decent target for an edged weapon, not so much for current non-explosive projectile weapons.

[chuckman]

Is a gunshot wound in that zone common or rare in combat? How large is the zone that can be hit by the bullet and sever that artery? I mean, I know the bullet will flip and yaw, but with as much emplasis as it takes to get a spinal coloumn hit, does the same apply to the femoral zone, or is it if you just hit the upper thigh with a rifle caliber it will likely be damaged?

My experience is that groin/femoral wounding not so much from a direct hit from a bullet but rather shrapnel either from an explosion or a bullet hitting something else and splintering.

I worked in a research lab for a few years, working on an off-the-shelf hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier, we used Yucatan pigs of 75 kilo's. We would slice the femoral artery before giving them "the product" or LR or NS (depending on the card we drew). It could take some of them a very long time to bleed to death.