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First Aid/Health In & Outside Of BDSM

As a Dom you are in sole control of someone’s safety and while accidents happen, they are largely non harmful luckily. BDSM is often quite safe when basic safety is followed. Sometimes things go wrong, unplanned things happen or just bad luck. Admittedly this guide is overkill, but something I felt lot of people do not have experience in first and this could be valuable outside of BDSM as well. In BDSM you are often alone, without support or help and must make decisions alone for the care of someone if they become in distress until help arrives. Making the right choices in those early moments can have a large impact on how things can turn out. Disclaimer I am not a medical professional, though a lot of this content is primarily sourced through certified medical professionals and other primary sources. I encourge everyone to consider taking CPR and first aid classes if you want a formal education to help those you care about and your local community. It’s a great thing for a resume too!

Self Cleanup

If you come in contact with blood wash all affected areas with warm soap and water for at least 30 seconds. Making sure to get under nails, back of hands and so on. Blood can contain various diseases that a person may not know they have, or do and have not told you. While saliva, cum and fecal matter are carriers of diseases too but transmission rates vary, usually with blood being the most severe.

Bruising

Not everyone bruises in the same way, some bruise incredibly easy while others do not bruise, do not push people/yourself over the edge to achieve a goal of bruising. Each human’s body acts differently and that is totally okay. It is rupturing of fine blood vessels under the skin

Initial Treatment

Elevate the bruised area above the heart, this will help lessen the pooling of blood in the bruised area. Place ice in a Ziplock bag (or use a bag of frozen food/vegi) and wrap it in a washcloth to prevent direct skin contact on the affected area on and off for the first 24-48 hours. Apply the ice for 15 minutes at a time as needed. For pain use acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use Ibuprofen/Aspirin which can prolong bleeding and the appearance of bruises.

Follow Up Treatment

Arnica cream is a homeopathic method known to speed the healing process of bruises and may be worth buying if you have a bruise prone partner (or you bruise yourself easily). One-Three after a bruise is visible use a heat pack or wash cloth soaked in warm water several times a day to promote healing on the area. Pain and tenderness should get better within a few days and the bruise should go away within a couple of weeks.

Medical Medications & Conditions

  • Hemophilia (inability to blood clot)
  • Diabetes & Blood Disorders
  • Aspirin (Increases the chances of bruising (which some abuse the medication for that function)
  • Blood Thinners These are all things that can create challenges for safe impact play. Any condition that causes healing, blood flow or platelets issues should consult their doctor or take small steps to find what is acceptable for their body & conditions.

Joint Dislocation

Occurs when too much pressure is applied to a joint causing it to slip outside of its joint. This will cause the joint to lock up and the individual’s joint will be unable to move. You should not try to reset a joint unless you have medical training. Instead, call 911 where paramedics can reset the joint back in place or bring you to the hospital to have it performed in a safe way. Trying to reset a joint improperly can cause muscle and nerve damage potentially that can be permanent.

  • If it occurs untie and remove any stress/force on the affected joint and position the person somewhere safe where they can relax. Stay with the person and keep them engaged and help keep their mind off it, as not to cause panic or shock until help arrives.

First For Aid Cuts & Abrasions

  • Consider buying a well-stocked premade first aid box if nothing else. You can buy a basic kit with plenty of sterile gauze, creams, bandages, antiseptics and more in neatly marked boxes. They are a good purchase even outside of BDSM to throw inside a car too, as well as your house. If you are serious about first aid, do things outside of BDSM such as outdoor hiking perhaps look into making your own first aid kit as well. Pre-made first aid kits often have lot of “fluff”.
  • Clean the area with mild soap and water or saturate with a spray.
  • Cover with an antibiotic ointment and a dry bandage. Cuts and Puncture Wounds

    Stop The Bleed

    This is what the vast majority of people will come across, whether it be getting pinched by a toy, getting cut by something, or getting punctured by something by accident.

  • Stop The Bleed - Apply firm pressure directly to the wound, using a clean cloth or towel. You can also use a finger if nothing else is available.
  • If the bleeding is seemingly out of control do not hesitate to call 911, maintain pressure on the wound.
  • If the blood seeps through the cloth or towel, add more pressure. Remove the pressure when you see the bleeding has stops, this can occur within 5 to 10 minutes.

    Large Punctures & Wounds

    If direct pressure/bandages fail to stem the bleeding, wound packing is the next intervention to consider combined with hard pressure (Picard). These are extremely atypical, but can occur in severe trauma like car crashes, falling on top of sharp objects or equipment (knife play, suspension rigs etc…) These need immediate 911 assistance.

  • If punctured by something do not REMOVE the item or MOVE the person unless their current location/position puts them at greater risk for more harm. The item that is implanted is holding back the additional bleeding therefore do not touch/move it.
  • Call 911 at once and try to make the person as comfortable as you can. Consider using a jacket, pillow, or a blanket for them to prevent their body from becoming cold if they become in shock.
  • Keep a conversation with them so they stay awake and aware and ask them questions that 911 may be asking you. Ensure they stay coherent and verbal, if they start losing coherences tell the 911 operator.
  • If a wound/puncture is a substantial hole and is open with uncontrolled bleeding try to pack/push sterile gauze into the wound then apply firm pressure on the top wound with more bandages/cloth to apply internal pressure on the wound. In dire circumstances where the bleeding is out of control, you can use pieces of your shirt to pack the wound to keep blood flow under control if you lack equipment in a severe trauma situation. Do not pack small wounds that are able to be contained mostly with pressure alone (which the vast majority are). If applying firm pressure does not work alone and the wound is large, consider packing more and applying heavy pressure as a last resort until 911 arrives.

    Allergic Reactions

    Can occur anywhere, in lubricants, dyes, waxes, and even metals. In BDSM metal allergies are something that affects ~10% of the population. While specific metals may vary allergies can be common around nickel, chromium, cobalt, and copper. If metal allergies are a concern for you and your partner opting for stainless steel or sterling silver, though silver plating is prone to wearing away but is a nice cost effective alternative for most. If allergies are too much for either then Gold, titanium or Niobium are worth looking into, though these metals will require custom orders I imagine. Allergic reactions can usually be spotted by redness or inflammation/raised skin of the area. Contact allergies are almost always less severe than food allergies and some people live their life not knowing they have allergies to specific compounds or metals. They are often not a big concern once the affecting item is removed, no immediate 911 intervention is usually needed.

    Initial Treatment

  • Remove the potential allergen from the person and put it to the side for later inspection.
  • Verify the person has no tightness feeling in their throat and can talk. If they have no airway issues ask if they know what they are allergic to and try to figure it out to verify you have removed the potential allergen and its not caused by another allergy-like recently consumed food.
  • If the person has trouble breathing or talking in response to their allergy call 911 immediately. Scratchy/sore throat is okay, trouble breathing is not.

    Using A Prescribed Epi-Pen

    People who suffer from common allergies or have deadly ones like peanuts may carry epi-pens. They should be used at the discretion of the patient, they know when it is needed for themselves, but in severe cases, they may become unconscious or lose the ability to function you should administer it yourself like this.

  • Pull the blue tab out of the top, pull it straight up out of the pen. Do not twist the blue tab.
  • Hold the pen with the orange side marked “Needle” facing down.
  • Administer directly through the clothing if needed on the patient’s outer-side thigh with a firm stab. You can tell it was activated by the spring being visible and the shroud around the needle being now extended. Hold in place and count down from 3 seconds.
  • Call 911 as an EpiPen is a short-term solution to buy time.
  • Separate additional EpiPen’s can be readministered after 5-15 minutes if the person is declining. Do not supply any more injections after the 2nd. D
  • Do not attempt to reuse the pens as they are single-use.
  • TLDR: Pull Top Tab, Hold Orange Tip Facing Down, Inject Into Outer-Side Thigh. Hold In Place For Three Seconds.

    References

    Christopher Picard (CD, B. R. (Fall 2017). Hemorrhage control, a fundamental skill: A review of direct pressure, dressings, wound packing and bandages for life-saving. From Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing: https://cjen.ca/index.php/cjen/article/download/76/32/

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