Recovery Time for Stab Wound?

fikgirl · May 10, 2008

Long time lurker, first time poster. (*waves sheepishly*)

I have a question for a story I'm working on. I have a character (male, 19 years old, healthy, active) who received a stab wound when he tried to break up a fight.

I don't want him on death's door, but I want the injury to be bad enough for there to be blood loss and unconsciousness. Given that, what sort of injury would it be and how long would the recovery time be?

Thanks in advance!

HeronW · May 10, 2008

Welcome fikgirl!
Okay, lets take it from the top:
1. stabbed with what:
knife, pencil, sword, ice pick, toasting fork, etc.
2. stabbed where:
A: clean area--chest=heart, lungs, liver
B: dirty area--stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys--any perforations here and waste matter gets out for a secondary infection
C: head--face, eyes, cheeks, neck
D: limbs--clipping the femoral artery inside the thigh--as thick as your thumb, and you'll bleed out in 2-3 minutes.

A thin blade--like a stilletto or rapier will leave a smaller wound though deep, a meat cleaver leaves a wide one, broken glass from a bottle can slice and dice like a scalpel.

What era is your character in, what type of weapon is his opponent likely to use?

How long does the fight last? Quick means a fast chest stab may hit a rib and deflect worse injury. Prolonged means the wielder can strike multiple times and do serious damage.

How proficient is the stabber? Is s/he a pro? Drunk? On drugs? In a rage?

What about the victim? Knows self-defense? Carries a weapon too?

How does the fight play out? Both standing, one stands one sits, etc, makes a difference too.

What's the victim wearing--depends on personal taste, weather, social class, job, etc. A heavy coat can take longer to stab through. Add an inner pocket with something to deflect or slow a blade and your victim is lucky.

Unconsciousness can also come from the impact of a fall after an assault, or a choke hold from behind while being stabbed.

If the victim is not quite human--were, alien, etc, the organs could regenerate faster or even be missing, in different places, etc.

fikgirl · May 10, 2008

Answers in blue

HeronW said:
Welcome fikgirl!
Okay, lets take it from the top:
1. stabbed with what:

knife

knife, pencil, sword, ice pick, toasting fork, etc.
2. stabbed where:
A: clean area--chest=heart, lungs, liver
B: dirty area--stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys--any perforations here and waste matter gets out for a secondary infection
C: head--face, eyes, cheeks, neck
D: limbs--clipping the femoral artery inside the thigh--as thick as your thumb, and you'll bleed out in 2-3 minutes.

I don't know. That's what I'm asking, mostly. I want the character to bleed a lot, need medical attention and pass out. He needs to be "on his back" for a few days afterwards

What era is your character in, what type of weapon is his opponent likely to use?

Modern, 20th century

How long does the fight last? Quick means a fast chest stab may hit a rib and deflect worse injury. Prolonged means the wielder can strike multiple times and do serious damage.

It's a domestic fight. Girlfriend being hit by her boyfriend. My White Knight character jumped in to stop it. Boyfriend pulled a knife, took a stab (or two) then got pulled off and ran

How proficient is the stabber? Is s/he a pro? Drunk? On drugs? In a rage?

Drunk and abusive

What about the victim? Knows self-defense? Carries a weapon too?

Does know self-defense, not carrying a weapon

How does the fight play out? Both standing, one stands one sits, etc, makes a difference too.

See above

What's the victim wearing--depends on personal taste, weather, social class, job, etc. A heavy coat can take longer to stab through. Add an inner pocket with something to deflect or slow a blade and your victim is lucky.

light jacket, t-shirt, jeans, typical "college" attire

Unconsciousness can also come from the impact of a fall after an assault, or a choke hold from behind while being stabbed.

No falling.

If the victim is not quite human--were, alien, etc, the organs could regenerate faster or even be missing, in different places, etc.

Human through and through

Tsu Dho Nimh · May 10, 2008

fikgirl said:
Long time lurker, first time poster. (*waves sheepishly*)

I have a question for a story I'm working on. I have a character (male, 19 years old, healthy, active) who received a stab wound when he tried to break up a fight.

I don't want him on death's door, but I want the injury to be bad enough for there to be blood loss and unconsciousness. Given that, what sort of injury would it be and how long would the recovery time be?

Thanks in advance!

How about he gets a minor slash in the rib area, sees the blood and passes out cold at the sight of it.

The embarassment will be life-long, but he'll be on his feet in a few minutes.

ADDING: How long does the PLOT NEED him to be out of action ... from there it's easy to decide how to hurt him.

You could always have him hit his head when he faints from the post-fight stress let-down (common in emergencies is that someone handles a crisis and as soon as the cops, EMTs or whoever gets there they collapse)

fikgirl · May 10, 2008

Tsu Dho Nimh said:
How about he gets a minor slash in the rib area, sees the blood and passes out cold at the sight of it.

ADDING: How long does the PLOT NEED him to be out of action ... from there it's easy to decide how to hurt him.
The embarassment will be life-long, but he'll be on his feet in a few minutes.

He needs to go to the hospital so that his uncle, who's "Big Man on Campus" can ream him out.

HeronW · May 10, 2008

Actually head wounds can bleed like crazy, cause fainting :

Rough set up: Girlfriend protests, D&A boyfriend gets pissy. Hero enters scene, yells, tries to headbutt BF --knock some sense into him & or knock him away from Gf. BF pulls a knife, cuts Hero's head and slams a fist into his neck. Hero sees stars and drops with a concussion, looking like he's tried to stop a Mack truck. BF runs off at sight off lots of blood or from GF screaming or from other people going by. Hero in hospital for 2-3 days 20+ stitches, mild concussion, has CAT scan of skull just to make sure no damage. Uncle is pissed :}

GeorgeK · May 10, 2008

HeronW said:
B: dirty area--stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys--any perforations here and waste matter gets out for a secondary infection
.

Actually urine is sterile unless the person has a UTI. Of course penetrating trauma can lead to an infection which might involve the urinary system.

Michael Davis · May 11, 2008

Need to define what you mean by recovery, e.g., back on his feet, stopped bleeding, out of hospital, etc. And all that will depend on where he was stabbed. In the leg or arm, no big deal (unless an artery was cut, which can kill in a matter of minutes). In a vital organ (lung or heart), heeling and remaining immobile is much longer.

Kari Charna · Mar 17, 2012

Knife stab wound heal time?

Hi ^_^ I'm new here too, and I have a very similar question for my own story. I hop it's okay I ask here instead of making my own thread??

I quote HeronW and fill in my answers in red.

From my answers I would like to know how serious you think it would be?
How long she has to be in the hospital?
How close to dying?
How long before she would be able to move around with minor pain?
how long to have fully recovered?
And how deep do you think the wound should be?

I want it to be serious but not so serious that she dies of course

HeronW said:
Welcome fikgirl!
Okay, lets take it from the top:
1. stabbed with what:
knife, pencil, sword, ice pick, toasting fork, etc.

knife

2. stabbed where:
A: clean area--chest=heart, lungs, liver
B: dirty area--stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys--any perforations here and waste matter gets out for a secondary infection
C: head--face, eyes, cheeks, neck
D: limbs--clipping the femoral artery inside the thigh--as thick as your thumb, and you'll bleed out in 2-3 minutes.

Well, the stab is place on the right side of the body, somewhere under the liver, but over the hips. Around where the appendix is located.

A thin blade--like a stilletto or rapier will leave a smaller wound though deep, a meat cleaver leaves a wide one, broken glass from a bottle can slice and dice like a scalpel.

Hmm, well just a normal kitchen knife

What era is your character in, what type of weapon is his opponent likely to use?

well, it's around 1957. (no there is nothing about the war or anything)

How long does the fight last? Quick means a fast chest stab may hit a rib and deflect worse injury. Prolonged means the wielder can strike multiple times and do serious damage.

Well, it isn't a fight or anything. My character stabs herself by accident under one of her "fits", and unfortunately had a knife in her hand.

How proficient is the stabber? Is s/he a pro? Drunk? On drugs? In a rage?

She is stabbed while in great pain, so obviously didn't aim or anything.

What about the victim? Knows self-defense? Carries a weapon too?

yes a little self-defense (but that not really relevant), and she is already weak from numerous of these "fits".

How does the fight play out? Both standing, one stands one sits, etc, makes a difference too.

no fight

What's the victim wearing--depends on personal taste, weather, social class, job, etc. A heavy coat can take longer to stab through. Add an inner pocket with something to deflect or slow a blade and your victim is lucky.

She's just wearing normal clothes. Long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Unconsciousness can also come from the impact of a fall after an assault, or a choke hold from behind while being stabbed.

If the victim is not quite human--were, alien, etc, the organs could regenerate faster or even be missing, in different places, etc.

Just human

I would be grateful for any help you can get me

MKrys · Mar 17, 2012

Why not a regular ol' stab to the stomach? Major blood loss, which can result in loss of consciousness, and he can be lucky it didn't hit any major organs. I don't think you need to get into the whole infection risk business. I'm not sure many lay people would require that much info around the medical aspect.

But I'm an NICU nurse, so I haven't encountered any stab wounds in my career.

Snick · Mar 17, 2012

If he was tryiing to stop a fight, then a stab to the forearm would b logical. Stabs to the arms cn bleed heavil;y or not, depending on where. There is little chance of death; alhough it is possible from blod loss. He can easliy pass out from blood loss.

Time for healing varies tremendously depending on the condition and so on of the victim.

mirandashell · Mar 17, 2012

A stab through the hand can be pretty horrible. Or rather across the palm. Lots and lots of blood = passing out and banging head = few days in hospital for concussion.

Recovery Time for Stab Wound?

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