Leaving the club, you observe a woman being clipped by a car in the parking lot. The victim is standing and shows no signs of external trauma, but over the next 5 minutes, she turns pale, with clammy skin, and her pulse becomes weak and irregular. Which of the following is NOT a good idea while waiting for the EMS to arrive?
Explanation
Answer: C - If a victim is suffering from internal bleeding, you do not want her head to remain elevated. She should be placed on the ground gently (unless there are signs of neck trauma, in which case, she should not be moved) and covered with a warm blanket to help her thermo regulate. If there are no signs of lower extremity trauma, her legs should be elevated 8”-12” to help return blood flow to the critical regions, the chest and head. It is important to realize that she can go into hypovolemic shock quickly, which can be fatal, even in the absence of external signs of injury.
