If someone gets pinned by an object which is very heavy and cannot free him or herself, would you remove the object?
The obvious answer seems to be to remove it as quickly as possible right? But did you know that in some instances, you are NOT supposed to remove the object?
When a body part, such as the arm or leg has been crushed for too long, the muscle tissue releases a by-product which turns out to be toxic to the body. If you do remove the object, this toxin will return into the circulation and flow back to the kidneys, causing serious kidney failure and sometimes even DEATH!
So when should you remove the object, and when should you leave it there? Here are some tips;
If the object has been there for less than one hour, remove it quickly and attend to the injury.
If the object has been there for more than one hour, generally you should NOT remove it, UNLESS it is obstructing the airway or breathing. What you should do is to make sure you call for the ambulance and inform the dispatcher about the situation. Proceed to treat all other injuries.
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