Quick Thinking Saves Lives

     Early last summer, I had the opportunity to witness one of the new blood-clotting products, first tested and used by the military in Iraq, put into action here at home. Based on the experience, I expect this will likely become routine in the years ahead.

     On that day, my fire-rescue unit was dispatched to a shooting scene. At the time of dispatch, we had no specifics about the situation. Arriving first, we followed protocol and stayed a block away until the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) arrived to secure the scene. In a relatively short time, we were advised that the scene had been secured and we proceeded in.

     At the scene was Hillsborough County Deputy Daniel Johnson. As a member of the Hillsborough County SWAT Medic team, I had worked with Deputy Johnson on various crisis management team/SWAT call-outs and had always found him to be an excellent deputy.

     When I reached Deputy Johnson, he was with an elderly male victim, who had been shot at close range by a .44 Magnum handgun. The deputy had determined that the victim wounded himself accidentally, and he was bleeding profusely. Keeping cool-headed in a situation that can be stressful for even a seasoned paramedic, he had already provided hemorrhage control by pouring the contents of his issued package of QuikClot into the wound and applying the emergency pressure bandage.

     In 2004, the HCSO had equipped all of its vehicles with QuikClot hemostatic agent and one of the new emergency pressure bandages. In fact, it was the first major law enforcement department in the nation to fully deploy the product. I had seen QuikClot presented at fire-rescue expos and heard a couple of stories about its use in Hillsborough County, but had never seen it used in a real-life situation.

     There was a large entrance wound, and the round had removed a good-sized chunk of the victim's leg. By the time I arrived, active bleeding had pretty much ceased. The victim was in severe pain, but the situation was no longer life-threatening.

     Because of the severity of the wound and the victim's age, I activated Hillsborough County's Trauma Alert System, which alerted Tampa General Hospital, a Level I trauma center, to clear an OR and scan room in preparation for our arrival. I loosened the emergency bandage, wiped away some extra QuikClot from around the wound and looked for any sign of minor burns, which is the only potential negative effect if QuikClot isn't used properly. There were no burns. Deputy Johnson had done everything perfectly, and the QuikClot worked great.

     Without prompt care, the victim's condition could have deteriorated quickly and he could have gone into uncompensated shock.

     Because of his willingness to go the extra mile, I recommended Deputy Johnson for a commendation. His department passed along the recommendation to Z-Medica Corp., the manufacturer of QuikClot, and Deputy Johnson was awarded the company's 2005 Francis X. Hursey Award, named for the inventor of QuikClot and given to a first responder for heroic use of the product.

Garry D. Floyd, FF/EMT-P, is a rescue lieutenant for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue in Tampa, FL.