Blood Thinners and Hemostatics

[9.3koolaid]

So I just got put on blood thinners for the foreseeable future and I have a pretty remote hunt coming up at the end of the month. I know clotting from any cuts will take longer regardless, but I ordered some quikclot gauze, dressings, and celox powder to stack the odds. Also thinking of packing gloves with a cut rating for field dressing.

Anything else I should be considering or know? Thanks

 

[Pony Soldier]

If you are over 60, consider kevlar sleeves if any skin will be exposed.

 

[9.3koolaid]

If you are over 60, consider kevlar sleeves if any skin will be exposed.

31, came as quite the surprise. Is that just because of thinner/more easily broken skin?

 

[willtim]

You will be fine. Holding pressure is the best hemostatic.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Your skin gets thinner in your later years and you bleed a lot just walking through the brush.

 

[LaHunter]

So I just got put on blood thinners for the foreseeable future and I have a pretty remote hunt coming up at the end of the month. I know clotting from any cuts will take longer regardless, but I ordered some quikclot gauze, dressings, and celox powder to stack the odds. Also thinking of packing gloves with a cut rating for field dressing.

Anything else I should be considering or know? Thanks

You probably need to have a conversation with your doc about the bleed risk along with potential issues with the original reason that you are now on blood thinners. Cut rating gloves is a good idea

 

[willfrye027]

Small to medium cuts will just be more of a PIA. You wont bleed out from poking your finger skinning an animal, but it will be annoying to get it to stop oozing.

Best thing to do in the moment is clean it off with fresh water, get the skin approximated or touching, and wrap it up tight but not too tight. Your body can still form a clot it will just take longer. Direct pressure and try not to mess with it and keep taking bandages off to look at it, unless it’s just soaking through them.

Biggest thing for me would be to have an in reach or something to call for an extraction. A bad fall and hitting your or broken leg etc can become more life threatening..id be more worried about that less about finger cuts etc.

 

[Marbles]

Direct pressure for 5-10 minutes will stop most bleeding. Actually time the pressure and do not stop holding it until you hit time. Every time you look and it bleeds, you blow out the clots that were forming and start over. This also works for bruises (just bleeding under the skin).

Hemostatic gauze and a quality tourniquet (or knowledge and practice with an improvised) are good for all of us in the rare event of arterial bleeding. I would avoid using them for anything else except maybe a bad scalp laceration.

On a DOAC (Eliquis or Xarelto) or a VKA (warfarin), if you take a hard knock to the head, even if you are not knocked out, you should extract and be seen in an ED as guidelines recommend a CT to look for bleeding. Even more true if you get knocked out or are altered after.

 

[Greenbelt]

I've been on bp med since I was 30 (career choice) and Im now 42. You'll be fine there's not much of a difference other than little cuts bleed longer. If you cut your arm off or something you'll prob be the same as everyone else; dead.

 

[Idaboy]

What "thinner" did they put you on and is it for treatment or prevention? Would talk to your doc...it may be a drug you can layoff of for a week without risks

 

[9.3koolaid]

What "thinner" did they put you on and is it for treatment or prevention? Would talk to your doc...it may be a drug you can layoff of for a week without risks

Eliquis, I had random chest pain and it was small pulmonary embolism. They said I can't take any time off until at least 6 months and they know it's gone. My PCP said just work on animals solo, wasn't too worried about it.

 

[9.3koolaid]

Direct pressure for 5-10 minutes will stop most bleeding. Actually time the pressure and do not stop holding it until you hit time. Every time you look and it bleeds, you blow out the clots that were forming and start over. This also works for bruises (just bleeding under the skin).

Hemostatic gauze and a quality tourniquet (or knowledge and practice with an improvised) are good for all of us in the rare event of arterial bleeding. I would avoid using them for anything else except maybe a bad scalp laceration.

On a DOAC (Eliquis or Xarelto) or a VKA (warfarin), if you take a hard knock to the head, even if you are not knocked out, you should extract and be seen in an ED as guidelines recommend a CT to look for bleeding. Even more true if you get knocked out or are altered after.

Altered being concussed? Any experience with the celox powder?

 

[Marbles]

Altered being concussed? Any experience with the celox powder?

Altered being a period of time with abnormal function, i.e not remembering things you should, slurred speech, not thinking normally, not knowing who or where you are. A few seconds is one thing, but minutes is a marker of a hard impact with increased risk of bleeding. Most people will not have bleeding, but death or permanent disability is considered really bad so the acceptable miss rate is really low.

I've not used the powder, gauze just seams easier to manage in my mind. While I have been trained, I have never packed a wound for arterial bleeding as in the ED the preference is to fix it in the OR.

Major bleeding risk on Eliquis is low at about 0.9 % per year, being young your risk is even lower (though not zero). The concern is really none compressible areas like inside the skull or the chest. Alcohol use and NSAIDs (ibuprofen) increase that risk. Don't get stabbed or shot, don't get stomped by a deer, don't fall off a cliff and you should be good.

 

[9.3koolaid]

Altered being a period of time with abnormal function, i.e not remembering things you should, slurred speech, not thinking normally, not knowing who or where you are. A few seconds is one thing, but minutes is a marker of a hard impact with increased risk of bleeding. Most people will not have bleeding, but death or permanent disability is considered really bad so the acceptable miss rate is really low.

I've not used the powder, gauze just seams easier to manage in my mind. While I have been trained, I have never packed a wound for arterial bleeding as in the ED the preference is to fix it in the OR.

Major bleeding risk on Eliquis is low at about 0.9 % per year, being young your risk is even lower (though not zero). The concern is really none compressible areas like inside the skull or the chest. Alcohol use and NSAIDs (ibuprofen) increase that risk. Don't get stabbed or shot, don't get stomped by a deer, don't fall off a cliff and you should be good.

Sounds like a plan! Thanks

 

[Unknown]

I’m 66 years old and have been on thinners ( xerelto) for five years now, and will be for life. Had a stroke due to A-Fib. Regardless of what some are saying here I can tell you with certainty even the smallest cut will bleed 10 times worse when on thinners, and it can take hours to clot. I have no doubt a bad enough cut and I’ll bleed out , no doubt! I carry two tourniquets. One in my pack and one in my pants pocket. Also have a first aid kit with some of the above mentioned items in my pack. You need to be extremely careful when out in the woods, and have some knowledge on how to handle bleeding injuries. I don’t let it keep me out of the woods, but It does limit me a little bit. Just use common sense and have a plan in case you do bleed.

 

[SlimCreaper25]

I always carry the single use superglues everywhere. Bino pack, kill kit, first aid kit. It’ll help with alot of those minor cuts that are a pain to get to stop bleeding. Be careful about smacking your head. I’ve heard “Bleedstop” works well but I haven’t had to use it. Consider carrying a tourniquet. I carry one of those Kevlar cut resistant gloves for field dressing on my opposite had and it’s not bad at all. Don’t overthink it and just be a little more careful and slow down. If you’re hunting with someone else, I’d make sure they’re aware, the risks involved and have a plan if something does happen.

 

[505Wapiti]

Lots of different things mentioned in this thread. Back in 2013 I spent a lot of time on the road and due to zero patience between point A and B, I would push the limits and not stop nearly enough and Red Bulls and lack of hydration nearly killed me. I had a PE from a clot in the leg most likely. Back then I had the lovonox injections in the belly twice a day for 30 days and then on warfarin and constant INR monitoring. Fortunately after 6 months and no issues I was done with all of that.

That said it was 3 months before packing into the all wilderness unit of the Gila for 6 days and I almost let it ruin my hunt with constant worrying about all that could go wrong. Fast forward to 2020 and I had a cadaver ACL in the left knee and clotted after surgery. Xarelto for 6 months, much better and easier experience than the previous. All this to say I just took better precautions around cuts, falls, etc.

Even today I still carry cut resistant gloves, clot packs, etc., just because I’m a lil overkill in the what if the crap hits the fan dept related to hunting in the back country. Cuts aren’t the only issue to worry about, as a good fall and a head injury could cause some internal bleeding that could turn ugly quick. My advice is just be smart with the decisions you make and slow down a little when traversing rough terrain and breaking down an animal. Don’t let the anxiety about it all ruin your hunt, because you will find yourself thinking about the what ifs. Slow and methodical is good.

 

[tony]

Pick up a couple rolls of coban. It’s light, most importantly sticks to itself and not you.