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My question is - Do you remove/extract a broadhead buried in your muscle, or unscrew it from the shaft/cut the shaft and leave it inside if you are impaled while in the field? If it's in a leg, will the motion of the muscles allow a head left inside to continue to cut as you move, and does that out weigh the risk of removal and increased bleeding? I flat don't know.

I realize that it is situation dependent but for this discussion lets assume that you are 1/2 to1mile walk from your vehicle and then 45min to an hour to a medical facility. No arterial bleeding and the head has buried itself completely into a muscle.

I'm kind of a klutz, as are some of my buddies that I hunt with, and for my own edification/education I'd like to hear some opinions of folks with more medical training than I have. Might come in handy, hopefully not. As I get ready to spend a bunch of time in the field again maybe some advice here will be relevant to a situation one of us encounters.

The thread about the cuts from very sharp knives/blades being almost painless got me thinking about first aid and a story that was told to me by a former client of mine.

A hunter I guided showed me a scar on his calf where a fixed 3blade head had penetrated completely into the muscle. An arrow in his hip quiver worked loose and had fallen out. As he took a step backwards to go around some brush he managed to impale himself . He told me he didn't feel anything but some pressure and almost the sensation of a "pop" as the head went into his leg! He said they decided that instead of removing the head to unscrew it (the insert was still exposed from his calf) and left it in the muscle with a bandage he made from his shirt around. He walked about a mile out of the woods and had it removed at the hospital.

That one story told to me in 1998 has stuck in my head like glue and I can still clearly see the scar on that guy's leg. It scared the hell out of me, and I commonly think about it while walking to my stands with broadheads in my quiver. Never hurts to have some extra vigilance while going afield with very sharp pointy sticks.



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The situations can all be so different, I'm not sure there is a good single answer.

I'm sure the action of the muscle working will cut against the razor edge of the blades. There is no question about this! The Bleeding out in a leg would be a serious issue, not bleeding external would be much more comforting. No place for blood to pool up inside your leg, unlike your abdomen. No external bleeding in the abdomen in no indication of minor injury.

If we are looking at a thigh injury, with the femoral artery in close proximity to the broad head, I'm not sure how you get out other then limp and hobble without the use of the leg at all. I would be very concerned pulling it out, but maybe you could get it out carefully pulling it out the same way it went in along the same slice grooves?

Yikes this is a horrible thing to contemplate!

The bigger issue I think most people would have if alone, is passing out from shock or blood loss. It's difficult to look at a serious bloody injury and not get "shocked" into feeling faint and beginning to sweat and pass out. Even with my slice's last week the blood was significant and the skin just fell open. The vision can be disturbing and effect you in ways you cannot prepare for. I've skinned and butchered well over 1000 animals. I've seen some quite horrible human injuries including fatalities. Never felt like I was gonna go into shock or faint. However your brain controls things you cannot prepare for with your own body involved. I was shaky and sweating big time with a fuzzy view for about 30 minutes after this happened. I'm sure I was on the bubble for staying functional or going out.

I have seen lots of people just fall to the ground passed out with injuries to themselves or others. Should this happen 1 mile from help while your bleeding bad, well that may be the end of the show right where you lay!


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Muscle spasm in reaction to the trauma needs also be considered.

No a medical practitioner, just some formal training, that I like to have but like not to need in the field.

Seem to recall, that sharp objects, that pentetrated should be stabilized and left for transport.

DocRocket should be the resident guy to talk to about this. Be interesting to have his take on it.


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I carry an IFAC or a small commercial trauma pack with Quikclot in the field, with the expectation that a broad head cut or penetration will be deep, and bleeding enough to be of concern.

If I could leave it in the body, and in stabilized position without working it as I moved, and unscrew the head, I probably would, but injury location, location, location, and my location.

In the thigh, I'd probably look harder at pulling it, but wait, it's a Rage broad head with the blades deployed...maybe not able to pull it without more damage.

The important point is to have a plan, and be prepared to adjust off of your base preparation for what actually happens. In Virginia, cell coverage is pretty easy in the field, in Idaho, not so much. If the bleeding is bad enough, cell coverage won't save you, but they can find the body later...

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I'm probably the least medically trained person here, but in the few classes I have taken the golden rule was NEVER remove anything that can seriously [bleep] you up, but yo stabilize the item for transportation...

I always think of a bicycle tire with a goats he'd thorn.... pull it out, it leaks air.leave it in and the tire holds air.

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Agreed, but if it's going to keep cutting more/deeper while you are moving, there's an exception to every rule. Most of the stabilize, leave in place, assumes some form of assistance is available.

My fear would be NOT being able unscrew the head, and have to stabilize 20-some inches of arrow shaft in a very akward position and not bang it into something on the way out.

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This is a timely conversation

Beginng of archery season... stay focused. This is some really serious spooky stuff boys!


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To make matters worse: what if it were a Rage expandable or similar?


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I would say that if you are prone to sticking broadheads in deep enuff to completely bury the head, stick with judo points or the point used for Dart archery screens............. laugh

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I don't think you would even be able to remove it without doing a lot of damage in the field. Try pulling a broadhead out of a deer sometime, they don't come out easy! In fact a lot of times the insert pulls out and the head stay in the meat. I would leave it in and try my best to not move the part of the body it's in.

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I am a ER nurse, and am currently working on my Nurse practitioner. Have many trauma and emergency certifications that I could bore you with. This is what I would do in this situation, an what I have been taught to do by many people with many more years of ER experience than me.
I will try not to throw out a bunch of medical jargon and keep this simple. No one answer is completely appropriate to every situation. The decision you make at this point needs to be based on if the object can be removed easily or not. if you can remove the broad head without causing a tremendous amount of damage I would remove it. Why?
With the object removed I can apply pressure directly to the spot, and attempt to stop the bleeding or slow it. Pressure will need to be applied just above the injury and directly on the injury. Hold for at least 10-15 minutes before you start moving if you can. With it out I can also assess the wound to determine if I have arterial involvement or not. If its a vein bleeding will be a constant stream of blood. Arterial will be a spurting of blood that happens every time your heart beats. If you happen to have hemostats with you in a medical kit, clamp large arteries that are severed to stop bleeding.

If you do decide to leave it in, understand that it is going to cause more damage and trauma every time you take a step. It will also be less painful to walk without the object in your leg. If left in you may need to use a tourniquet along with pressure to slow or stop the bleeding.

If you have clot packs, only use if you are going to be a long ways from hospital or the bleeding is severe enough that you could bleed to death before you get there. Note that this would only happen if you sliced a large artery, take anti platelets or blood thinners, or did nothing to slow the bleeding. They make a dang mess when you are trying to clean and irrigate a wound, and also prevent the wound bed from healing nearly as fast as without it.

If you feel "shock". Lay down and chill out with your legs elevated for a few minutes if you can. It is a natural response from our body. Fight or flight syndrome. You are more than likely getting yourself in a panic and this will elevate heart rate, blood pressure, and increase bleeding. all bad at this point. Drink some water, eat a snack, and walk out. Rule number one in trauma is STAY CALM.







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You're in a real mess if you manage to bury a broadhead in flesh no matter what you do to compensate. It'll keep cutting as long as it's imbedded and you're moving. Some designs might even work their way deeper. And as mentioned you cannot put pressure on it. If it's relatively shallow you can probably pull it out, just before you pass out from the pain of pulling it out. If it's deep I'd start praying and watch for the light. You won't believe the amount of blood that will appear. A cut from a razor edge just does not want to clot.

As serious an answer as I can give, first get on the cell phone if you have service. After that personally I want it OUT. If there is arterial bleeding there's no choice. You have to get pressure on it before you pass out and die, and that may not be long. Quite a few years back we recovered a deer shot at from too far away in sundown light. The broadhead hit the inside of a hind leg just above the tarsal gland and caught the small artery against the bone there. Deer just wandered along until laying down to die. No signs of panic and it didn't go far.

So after the fact, you have a problem that well may kill you. The only alternative is take every precaution you can to prevent a broadhead from being in point first position toward any part of your body ever. I'll be hunting with a bow for the first time this year in 16 years. And I'll trust them even less now than I did then. The threat from a mishandled broadhead cannot possibly be overstated. It's a hot chamber with no safety. As much as I've hunted with them in the past they still kinda freak me out.


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