[LaFemmes]

Awesome topic.

am an EMT on a local ambulance service and also work medical support for a local course. I'm a Traumatic brain injury instructor, CPR instructor, a Security Officer and soon to be a medical dispatcher so I have the necessary training for police and medical response and am not just pulling this information out of thin air.

First things first, I recommend everyone to take a CPR course, first aid, first responder or even an EMT course if interested because you need to be prepared for an incident. The following applies to those who do not have medical experience.

If a rider you are with goes down and does not get up on their own within 10 seconds, keep the rider in their position of comfort and delegate ONE person to call 911. If the rider is concious and speaking to you (you now know their airway is open and they are breathing), have the rider stay down and do not remove any gear (gloves are okay if the rider removes them), especially their helmet. The helmet is only removed if their airway is not patent, and this is by someone who knows how to do it properly (get trained)

Ask the rider what their name is, where they are, what the date is, and who the president or governor of their state is (This will give you an idea of how oriented they are). Ask the rider what happened and where they hurt.

Next, check to see if they have a pulse and count what it is (check at the riders wrist on the thumb side because it is easier to slip two fingers under their gloves/jacket without causing pain and possible complications versus trying to check their carotid artery in the riders neck).

Next, check for any holes in the riders leathers. Chances are this is where you are going to find the most blood if their is any. If the rider is severly bleeding, take someone's shirt or any cloth you might have and apply pressure. If the injury is on one of the extremities and you cant control bleeding, you can find the brachial or femoral artery and apply pressure. Tourniquets are a LAST RESORT, unless you are biking in a very remote area and your cell phone is dead and it will be more than a couple hours until the rider receives medical attention, do not use a tourniquet. When a tourniquet is used, the person is more than likely going to lose their limb because it cuts off circulation to the tissue.

If the rider is not wearing leathers (please dont be one of these) visually check for any bones protruding from the skin and any bruises or swelling that appears. There is nothing that you can do for this rider unless you are properly trained. Basically, make sure the rider doesnt move the area that is injured (most likely they wont, but the rider has an adrenaline rush and pain is masked. Trust me, they will feel it in the morning!)

If you have a piece of paper, write down the following just in case the rider becomes unconscious. The paramedics need to know:

-Allergies
-Medications (This includes illegal herbs, Birth control, and vitamins.)
-Past Pertinent Medical History (has the rider ever had a concussion before? broken bones? recent surgeries? HIV/AIDs?)
-Last Oral intake (what was it and how long before the incident, in case they need surgery)

Check to see if the rider's pupils are the same size. This is a good indication of a head injury/ bleed. Above all, KEEP CALM!!! The worst thing you can do is fly off the handle when a rider goes down, especially if another person might have caused it - trust me, they feel bad enough already. Wait for the paramedics/police to arrive and have one person get the story straight of what happened. Be HONEST about how fast the rider was going, it is crucial in determining treatment!

I am sure I have missed things, because there is alot to cover and I have been sitting here for an hour and a half typing, then deleting parts of it to put it into language that is not too "medical". I hope this has helped and if you can remember just one thing that is written above it will help in a situation. Good luck and keep the shiny side up!