Stormwind Army Field Manual: First Aid

The First Aid chapter of the Stormwind Army Field Manual covers how the soldiers of the Stormwind Army are supposed to treat their wounds when injured while fighting the enemies of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Injuries are a common occurence in war, both from the blades of enemies and the harsh enviroments around us. From an arrow to the shin to a bad fever this handbook will direct you and your companions in the proper actions to be taken in most any medical situation.

Remember that these guidelines should be followed to the letter and not fudged with home remedies. Some examples of such 'home remedies' are (though not limited to): Sucking venom from another's bite wound, using a combat knife to perform unsupervised surgery, or rubbing dirt in an open wound.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. First Aid Kit Contents (and uses) 3. Infirmary 4. Medical Triage 5. Civilians 6. Patient Visitor Consent 7. Common Injuries and Treatment Procedures 8. Reminders

Acknowledgements:
Lord Maxen Montclair, Duke of Westridge. Marshal of the Stormwind Army.

Lady Tanya Seltara, Deacon of Stromgarde

Doctor Amyrissa Baker, Medical Practitioner

First Aid Kit Contents (And Their Uses)
Two (2) Rolls of Wool Gauze. (Bandages, splints and slings.)

Steel Scissors. (Cutting gauze.)

Tweezers. (Removing debris from wounds.)

Two (2) Wooden Splints. (Splints.)

Two (2) Healing Potions (Painkiller and disinfectant.)

Symbol of the Light. (Blessing wounds, deceased.)

Keep your kit stocked! You may request additional supplies from any army quartermaster. In addition, always use your patient's kit if they have one. You might need yours later!

"Infirmary"
Whether in the city or on the field, a triage area should be set up and designated for your area and from this point on will be referred to as the "Infirmary". This may be a temporary structure, a designated wing of a fortress or garrison, or even the bedding rooms of an inn.

In the field refer to your assigned medic or commanding officer for its location. When within the Kingdom, any town hall or garrison may be used as such.

Medical Triage
To ensure effective use of medicinal supplies, the wounded must be treated in this order:

- The injured who can be helped by immediate transportation. - The injured whose transport can be delayed. - Those with minor injuries, who need help less urgently. - The expectant who are beyond help.

Civilians
If civilian casualties enter the picture, tend to them first. Soldiers are trained to cope with their wounds and have been taught to remain resilient. Civilians have not. They are more likely to fall victim to their injuries and must be treated right away.

Patient's Visitor Consent
If a citizen not within the king's service requests information on a patient, or asks if a patient is currently in care or comatose, do not give them the information.

The patient must give their consent before allowing a visitor or acknowledgment of their status in the infirmary.

If the patient is a prisoner of the kingdom, officers of the crown may question the patient freely.

In the event that a patient is not capable of giving verbal or physical consent, then consent under supervision is assumed.

Visitors
Citizens of no immediate relation who are not in service to the crown and have been approved to visit are to be given fifteen to twenty minutes with the patient and should be monitored by an agent of the crown.

Family members may be given a maximum of one hour of supervised time, provided that there is no request by medical personnel that the family member(s) leave the room or immediate area.

Check to ensure there are no quarantines before admitting visitors.

Quarantine
Always check to see if the Infirmary is currently under quarantine before entering for your safety and the safety of others. Outbreaks of the plague, volatile fel magic, posession, or other contagious and deadly maladies could all warrant quarantine.

If the Infirmary is under quarantine do not under any circumstances take it upon yourself to inform the public. The appointed chaplain or an acting commanding officer will inform the public if deemed necessary. Doing so without caution could cause wide-spread panic.

Common Injuries and Treatment Procedures
Diagnosis When presented with a patient conscious and able to communicate, it is your duty to calm the patient and determine the severity of his or her injuries. Reassure the patient that you are trained in the field of medicine, and that you will do everything in your power to assist the patient in recovery. After you have calmed the patient, ask the following series of questions to assist your diagnosis and treatment:

"What is your name?"

"Do you have medical conditions I should know about?"

"What has happened to you?"

"Where does it hurt?"

Recording the answers and making self-determinations when observing the patient, you may make judgment on treatment of the following ailments.

Gashes or Impalements
Find the wound and establish its size. If the item itself is still lodged in the victim, DO NOT attempt to remove the foreign object. Avoid moving whatever is lodged in the victim to keep it from causing further harm.

Sterilize and dress the wound around the impaled object, using gauze and bandages to secure it. If you are in the Infirmary, stitch or use the Light to seal the wound once trained medical staff have removed the item. Bandage the wound afterwards.

If an object is lodged in a victim's eye take extreme care to not move it. Cover their uninjured eye so that they aren't tempted to look around and injure themselves. If materials are available try and cover the object protruding from the eyeball without touching it.

Again: do -not- attempt to remove any lodged foreign objects. Allow trained medical staff to do so. Removing the object could result in massive blood loss or cause further damage.

Projectile Wounds
Such as a wound caused by a projectile, like an arrow, bullet, or crossbow bolt. First identify the entry location, and next search for an exit wound; do note that exit wounds tend to be far worse than entry wounds. Sterilize the wound(s) and apply pressure with dressing and secure with a bandage until bleeding bleeding stops.

Again: do -not- attempt to remove any lodged foreign objects. Allow trained medical staff to do so. Removing the object could result in massive blood loss or cause further damage.

Bone Fracture
A bone fracture can be the result of high force impact or stress. All fractures can described as:

-Closed fractures: The skin is intact.

-Open fractures: Bone is protruding from the skin.

Immobilize the wound. If it is an open fracture, you must rinse any dirt out of the wound, sterilize it with saline or strong alcohol, and proceed to splint and dress the area. DO NOT move the bones if it can be helped. Untrained tampering with fractures can lead to a complete break and/or a possible need for amputation.

Splinting Arms/Legs
1. Place two wooden stakes parallel to the wound against the skin.

2. Use strips of bandages to secure the stakes.

3. If the wound is of the arm, make a sling out of cloth that will hold the broken arm against the patient's chest, immobilizing it.

4. If the wound is of the leg, it may, in certain instances, be easier to splint it with one stake and then tie the injured leg to the uninjured leg.

Head Trauma
If your patient has suffered a heavy blow to the head, look at their eyes to determine if they have a concussion. A concussion is recognizable by dilation in the eyes.

If there is an open wound it will need to be treated. Sterilize the wound with a cloth dampeded with saline or alcohol. Then apply a piece of gauze and bandage to cease the bleeding

Keep the patient talking. Ask their name, if they can tell you the day, what they ate for lunch. Anything that would help you determine their mental stability.

It is imperative that a patient with a concussion be kept awake, or at least frequently checked, for a twenty-four hour period until trained medical professionals determine that the victim does not risk slipping into coma or vomiting due to a relapse of shock.

Head trauma patients are considered critical for a twenty-four hour period after the incident occurs and are to be monitored for the full twenty-four hours.

Shock
Take the casualty, and roll them on their side. Keep one arm crossed over their chest to steady them. Use the arm resting against the ground as a support for the head. This will help the casualty by preventing them from drowning should they vomit.

Watch for any signs of their condition degrading. Seizures, choking, loss of consciousness are all occasional symptoms that may follow a case of shock. When the victim comes about, do not give them any food or water directly. Their lips and tongue can be dabbed with a clean, wet cloth to aid in relieving thirst.

The goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible. Any injury risks a patient falling into shock, so as a last step ALWAYS treat a victim for it. Offer them a blanket if they're available and feel cold, elevate their legs if they're resting on their backs, etc.

Remember, you CANNOT harm a patient by treating them for shock. You can kill them if you don't, however.

Burns
If a victim suffers a burn to the skin it will need to be thoroughly flushed with cold water; this should be for several minutes, if possible, and then sanitized. Carefully wrap the burn in gauze and bandage it like any other wound to protect it from the harsh enviroment of a warzone.

Poison
If the wound is discolored or foaming, it may be poisoned or infected. A chaplain can abolish the poison using a cleansing spell, or an alchemist with an antidote. Infections can be treated with a combination of various herbal medicines, sterilizing agents, absorbing powders, and clean bandages.

Patient Death
If your patient succumbs to his or her wounds and dies under your care, it is your duty to perform the 'prayer of the fallen' for the lifeless body.

Prayer of the Fallen
Blessed Light, Embrace this tortured soul. May spirit be one with the Light, As flesh may return to the earth. May your final journey be swift- To the heavens gleaming forever.<BR> Rest in peace.

Exceptions
If you encounter an instance which you do not feel to fit into one of the scenarios described in the handbook you should follow these steps:

-Have someone run to get medical personnel A.S.A.P.

-Treat the wounds you know you can to the best of your abilities.

-The portions you do not feel able to treat, do not.

Do note that sometimes one might feel they're doing the wrong thing by not acting, but know that there is only so much you can do without training. These actions should NEVER be performed by untrained enlisted members, though there may be more that were not mentioned, such as...

Amputation. Surgery of any kind. Applications of home-spun remedies for an ailment. Using obscure magical healing methods, such as sacrificing one's own life. Cutting away the strange green stuff growing on your friend's arm. Etc.

Reminders
Your responsibility as a soldier in the field is to prep and maintain a casualty so they may be transported to trained medical personnel.

Be ready to report anything and everything about the patient you had done or noticed; the origin of their injuries, how you treated them, how long ago a splint was applied, etc. This information is critical to medical personnel in making life-saving decisions.