Naelwyn
Non sum qualis eram
I'm going to start off with blood loss and see what other topics we cover, probably traumatic injury types.
The adult human body has a cardiac output of around 5 litres per minute, with a circulating volume of about 5 litres. What this means is that, generally speaking, the blood in a human body completely circulates about in minutes.
The cardiac system works through arteries and veins.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart through the body.
Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
Bleeding arises due to either traumatic injury, underlying medical condition, or a combination.
Traumatic Injury
Traumatic bleeding is caused by some type of injury. There are different types of wounds which may cause traumatic bleeding. These include:
Blood loss
Hemorrhaging is broken down into four classes by the American College of Surgeons' advanced trauma life support (ATLS).
Individuals in excellent physical and cardiovascular shape may have more effective compensatory mechanisms before experiencing cardiovascular collapse. These patients may look deceptively stable, with minimal derangements in vital signs, while having poor peripheral perfusion. Elderly patients or those with chronic medical conditions may have less tolerance to blood loss, less ability to compensate, and may take medications such as betablockers that can potentially blunt the cardiovascular response. Care must be taken in the assessment of these patients.
The time it takes for a person to lose their blood depends quite strongly on where they were cut.
For Altera, a brief rule of thumb for you:
Jugular Vein, Carotid Artery, Femoral Artery or Vein, Subclavian Artery or Vein - will lead to death by blood loss within the span of Two Minutes.
(Notably, Carotid or Jugular cuts will lead to your brain running out of oxygen and you passing out in tens of seconds. [Will usually not help matters that this usually also hits the windpipe])
Vena Cava, Descending Aorta, 30 seconds to a minute. (The traditional Samurai ritual of Seppuku ends in a transverse cut across the abdomen to cut the Descending Aorta. Death promptly follows.)
Aortic Arch, Pulmonary System, or the Heart Itself - Pretty Much Instant.
The adult human body has a cardiac output of around 5 litres per minute, with a circulating volume of about 5 litres. What this means is that, generally speaking, the blood in a human body completely circulates about in minutes.
The cardiac system works through arteries and veins.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart through the body.
Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
Bleeding arises due to either traumatic injury, underlying medical condition, or a combination.
Traumatic Injury
Traumatic bleeding is caused by some type of injury. There are different types of wounds which may cause traumatic bleeding. These include:
- Abrasion - Also called a graze, this is caused by transverse action of a foreign object against the skin, and usually does not penetrate below the epidermis
- Excoriation - In common with Abrasion, this is caused by mechanical destruction of the skin, although it usually has an underlying medical cause
- Hematoma - Caused by damage to a blood vessel that in turn causes blood to collect under the skin.
- Laceration - Irregular wound caused by blunt impact to soft tissue overlying hard tissue or tearing such as in childbirth. In some instances, this can also be used to describe an incision.
- Incision - A cut into a body tissue or organ, such as by a scalpel, made during surgery.
- Puncture Wound - Caused by an object that penetrated the skin and underlying layers, such as a nail, needle or knife
- Contusion - Also known as a bruise, this is a blunt trauma damaging tissue under the surface of the skin
- Crushing Injuries - Caused by a great or extreme amount of force applied over a period of time. The extent of a crushing injury may not immediately present itself.
- Ballistic Trauma - Caused by a projectile weapon such as a firearm. This may include two external wounds (entry and exit) and a contiguous wound between the two
Blood loss
Hemorrhaging is broken down into four classes by the American College of Surgeons' advanced trauma life support (ATLS).
- Class I Hemorrhage involves up to 15% of blood volume. There is typically no change in vital signs and fluid resuscitation is not usually necessary.
- Class II Hemorrhage involves 15-30% of total blood volume. A patient is often tachycardic (rapid heart beat) with a narrowing of the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The body attempts to compensate with peripheral vasoconstriction. Skin may start to look pale and be cool to the touch. The patient may exhibit slight changes in behavior. Volume resuscitation with crystalloids (Saline solution or Lactated Ringer's solution) is all that is typically required. Blood transfusion is not typically required.
- Class III Hemorrhage involves loss of 30-40% of circulating blood volume. The patient's blood pressure drops, the heart rate increases, peripheral hypoperfusion (shock), such as capillary refill worsens, and the mental status worsens. Fluid resuscitation with crystalloid and blood transfusion are usually necessary.
- Class IV Hemorrhage involves loss of >40% of circulating blood volume. The limit of the body's compensation is reached and aggressive resuscitation is required to prevent death.
Individuals in excellent physical and cardiovascular shape may have more effective compensatory mechanisms before experiencing cardiovascular collapse. These patients may look deceptively stable, with minimal derangements in vital signs, while having poor peripheral perfusion. Elderly patients or those with chronic medical conditions may have less tolerance to blood loss, less ability to compensate, and may take medications such as betablockers that can potentially blunt the cardiovascular response. Care must be taken in the assessment of these patients.
The time it takes for a person to lose their blood depends quite strongly on where they were cut.
For Altera, a brief rule of thumb for you:
Jugular Vein, Carotid Artery, Femoral Artery or Vein, Subclavian Artery or Vein - will lead to death by blood loss within the span of Two Minutes.
(Notably, Carotid or Jugular cuts will lead to your brain running out of oxygen and you passing out in tens of seconds. [Will usually not help matters that this usually also hits the windpipe])
Vena Cava, Descending Aorta, 30 seconds to a minute. (The traditional Samurai ritual of Seppuku ends in a transverse cut across the abdomen to cut the Descending Aorta. Death promptly follows.)
Aortic Arch, Pulmonary System, or the Heart Itself - Pretty Much Instant.
