A Question For Doctors

I'm not a doctor but I played one in the CHS production of Sweeny Todd.

I would suppose that someone who had their arm ripped off/cut off/otherwise accidentally removed whould count as "having an artery entirely sliced through" and many of them survive -- like the guy who cut off his own arm in whatever canyon and walked out to find help.

• I'm not a doctor, either--but I've known a bunch--I used to work as an RN, from the age of 23 to 34 or so. Now I am 'retired' and am an 'artist.' These days I nurse a soul here and there--and no doctor around for miles!

But I still know a few things about doctor stuff.

• Bleeding from a severed artery can lethally drain the body in less than 6 minutes.
  
  
• When there is severe bleeding where a major artery has been severed, pressure may be insufficient and a tourniquet may be necessary. Tourniquets are an effective way of stopping bleeding from an extremity. They do, however, stop circulation to the affected extremity and should ONLY be used when other methods, such as pressure dressings, have failed (or are likely to fail). Pressure from tourniquets must be relieved periodically to prevent damage to the tissue from lack of oxygen.
  
  
• Bright red blood that comes out in spurts (timed by each heartbeat) or a heavy, steady flow, indicates that an artery has been severed. The rapid loss of blood can quickly result in 'shock' (which is a partial shut-down of the body in order to preserve the vital organs by only giving them what oxygenated blood is available). Also, dehydration is a immediate effect of a large amount blood loss--and can also pose a life-threatening situation in the subsequent 2 to 3 days (if the victim is not re-hydrated).
  
  
• The severed artery will require surgical repair unless totally unavailable--and that unavailability drastically reduces odds of survival.
  
  
• As far as 'heavy lifting'--that's the 'short-cut' to bleeding to death--the exertion is going to nullify any positive results of the pressure applied to stop the bleeding, and the seemingly smallish cardiovascular effort required is beyond the limited survival mode that occurs during this type of trauma.
  

Here is a link or two I found for your reference--also, there is a lot of info on the web--just google 'severed artery repair' or 'first aid severed artery'--things like that. My own search turned up reliable information that I know to be true--so it is a good source for your writing purposes. You could ask me a question, if you wanted to--if I know the answer I will tell you--and if I don't, I'll tell you that, too.

http://www.answerbag.com/a_view.php/25492
http://www.coolnurse.com/bleeding.htm
http://www.drkoop.com/ency/93/000045trt.html

I'm not disparaging Boomerang's answer--because it is very possible to survive such a trauma; and has been documented many a time (amazing every time!)--but not as likely as not surviving--and for a severed artery, surgery must be done at some point in time, from what I understand. It can't repair itself because the constantly pumping blood doesn't allow the needed environment for the tissues to graft back together--and such a thing would cause the other arm tissue (muscle and fascia, etc) to die in the meantime--either you lose your life or your arm. And being all alone adds double jeopardy to the situation.

And there is always, without exception, the extenuating circumstances of each individual case--which, of course, you are creating yourself. I think the type of injury that caused the severed artery might sometimes render conditions to where the artery is somehow stifled by the effects of the injury, and no doubt it has a lot to do with a person's stamina--something that is purely mental and not at all physical. It is their 'John Wayne True Grit' type of toughness that I refer to as 'stamina.'

Well now, you are very queenly, Ms. Annie!

I think I have a rather distored sense because my uncle had his arm ripped off (are you ready for this: by a truck filled with box springs that sideswiped his truck while he had his arm resting on the window ledge).

He drove himself to the hospital and had it "fixed" and he went on to live a long life.

I'm really not sure what happened to his arm though..... surely it was distangled and..... something was done with it.....

Oh gosh. That's awful. Makes those crazy propaganda movies they showed in grade school (about NEVER let your arm hang out the school bus window and what not) seem almost justified. Yikes.

They recommend ice chests and the like for
'lost items.' Course, if it's been hijacked, there is an apparent choice that must be made...

I think that probably the 'fix' was a surgical repair.

They also have some kind of new gunk that will clot up the wound post haste--but I'm wary of new gunks--they often turn out to be less than thoroughly considered in hindsight.

I think that an arm is probably less of a life-threatening situation than a leg--because the femoral artery in the leg is the biggest one of the extremities (2nd to the aorta, I think) and also because the arm is more easily elevated above the heart--something very helpful in stifling the blood.

Was your uncle's arm severed at the shoulder? As in--his whole arm? I only ask because it suddenly seemed to me that a shoulder would be even less dangerous than a place lower on the arm--the shoulder is naturally above the heart--especially when driving!

Geez, I hope he had an automatic transmission!

Wow. I just can't imagine. I cut my finger last night and I'm still cringing...

It did tear his arm off at the shoulder!

I never ever knew him when he had both arms and the only story he ever told about it was "he stuck it up his nose and a booger bit it off".

I'm going to have to have my memory refreshed on the incident from my mom because it really wasn't something we talked about. Not that it was off limits or anything it was just that he only had one arm and so what, big deal.

I know that kind of uncle--I have several!

They are great! No matter how many arms or whatever they are the real deal. It's the booger joke that clinches it! I had an uncle that dressed up in his wife's outfits at the family reunions and then went around trying to plant a smooch on the other men's cheeks. My dad wasn't game, that was for sure. Hee hee

And that was the tame one.

Uncle Miltie!

Wonderful uncles are a divine thing. The things that that ratted your parents out on "back when we were kids" are so delicious.

And guess what?

(you're not going to believe it, but it is the truth)

That particular uncle's name was Milton!



Ain't life grand?

I'm no doctor but I've stayed at a few Holiday Inn Expresses and I say if you sever an artery and there's no doctor around you're probably well f**cked-

well f**cked... that's a technical term.

There was an Eagle Scount here in Austin that had his arm severed by a big saw blade. He managed to staunch the bleeding long enough to get to the hospital.

There's an arter that runs through the inside of your upper arm that you can pinch off with pressure. Still allows bloodflow around it; could keep you from bleeding to death while still allowing enough bloodflow around it to keep the tissues alive.

My sister is a surgeon, so I'm qualified to answer this.

His elbow is going to be in some wicked pissah pain.

Life is indeed grand!

Not only was his name Milton but Slappy has a sister who is a surgeon!

I have entered another dimension and I like it here.

<Here I thought I had good medical credentials and a nurse and a surgeon's brother and someone who stayed at the Holiday Inn Express show up to school me on medicine. Mr. Whatthefuck, my drama teacher, has some explaining to do.>

I forgot about people who read about Eagle Scouts! Those are for sure the guys who really know.

Is the wink something new, Boomerang--or am I just three days behind?

I'm no doctor either, but closer than most. I am a medical student in the first year. Needless to say this does not make me high and mighty Mr. Knowitall.

Firstly you should know that there are several arteries varying in size. Lets say that the biggest artery in your arm was cut, and you are a young and healthy person. If pressure and a piece of clothing is put correctly around the wound I would say that the the worst case scenario is that you will have to amputate the arm if further medical assistance is not possible for some time. However i think that this is highly unlikely. First of all you would have to cut pretty deep if you want to reach a major artery. Secondly blood will coagulate and the blood coming from your arm will try to find other routs (circulatory anastomoses). The bodys own healing mecanisms are amazing! Or maybe I am just more interested than the average Joe..

Are there no doctors or other medical students using this forum?

I'm not a doctor, but I am married to one, only he's a Ph.D., not an M.D. but he's always giving advice of all types out to everyone, medical included, so I feel extremely well qualified to answer your problem, and if, for some reason, you feel I'm not good enough and would prefer to have a quasi-doctor opinion, let me know and I'll ask my husband.

Now, my answer is I agree with everything Queen annie said and also whoever said it would pissah hurt (perhaps I'm paraphrasing).

Also, one last qualifier and opinion - I saw the film Fargo about 50 times and that scene where the arm is flinging around in the chipper? Well, I see it sort of like that and I'm here to say that sorry, but there's no hope of retrieving that arm in one piece or ever using it usefully again, in fact, and to just write the rest of the story for a one-armed man.

Okay? I hope this all helps. I'd love to read your manuscript should it ever be publishable... if you ever get writer's block, come back here and let us know - we may be able to salvage something for you.

Ta ra.