ABDOMINAL WOUND & EYE INJURIES
Conditions: IED immobilized lead vehicle. Open abdominal wound with organs outside body and eye injury. Non-CBRNE, casualty is conscious.
Understanding This Task
This complex task combines abdominal wound treatment with four types of eye injury treatment. The abdominal wound requires moist then dry dressing without applying pressure. For eye injuries, remember to cover BOTH eyes to prevent sympathetic movement.
Critical rule: Do NOT push organs back in. Do NOT give food or water. Do NOT reposition an eyeball.
Common NO-GO Mistakes
- Pushing organs back inside body
- Applying pressure to abdominal dressing
- Only covering injured eye (must cover BOTH)
- Attempting to reposition or replace eyeball in socket
- Giving food or water to abdominal wound casualty
Task Basis: 081-COM-1001, 081-831-1025, 081-000-0127, 081-833-0057, 081-COM-1055
- Do NOT push organs back in. Do NOT give food or water.
- Cover with moist THEN dry dressing.
- Cover BOTH eyes for eye injuries (prevents sympathetic movement).
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
0/9 GO- 1
Check for entry and exit wounds
- Sit casualty up or roll to side to check back.
- 2
Position the casualty
- On back, flex knees. Turn head to side (airway clear for vomiting).
-
3
Expose the wound CRITICAL
- Pick up organs on ground using clean, dry dressing — gently place on abdomen.
- Do NOT probe, clean, try to remove foreign objects, or push organs back inside body.
- 4
Apply moist sterile abdominal dressing
- Ensure dressing large enough to cover entire mass.
- Place sterile side of plastic wrapper directly over wound.
- Place dressing on wound — do NOT apply pressure.
- Tie tails loosely at side.
- 5
Treat for shock
- Loosen binding clothing. Prevent chilling/overheating.
- If vomiting: roll to side without causing further injury. Return to supine with knees flexed when done.
- 6
Treat eye lacerations/contusions
- Close lid of affected eye. Do NOT apply pressure or manipulate globe.
- Cover with moist sterile dressing. Place field dressing over eye pad.
- 7
Treat eyeball injury
- Do NOT reposition globe or replace in socket.
- Cover with sterile saline-soaked dressing. Field dressing over eye pad.
- Tell casualty not to squeeze eyelids.
- 8
Treat extrusion
- Cut hole in layers of dressing material, moisten with saline.
- Place so globe protrudes through hole without touching. Build up dressing higher than globe.
- Apply Fox eye shield or improvised protection (paper cup, SAM splint, eyewear). Secure with tape.
- 9
Treat protruding object
- Immobilize object. Dress with moist, loose dressing.