Blood Loss - Spinoff of Smashing Bottles Thread

thethinker42 · Dec 21, 2008

Thanks to everyone who helped with my thread about smashing bottles/plates/etc against someone. So now that I've settled on smashing a china plate against his back/neck/shoulder, plus slashing his forearm with a broken bottle (yep, bottle is still in play), now let's talk blood loss.

Would something like this cause significant blood loss? Not enough to be life-threatening, of course, but would it be more of a "damn, I ruined my shirt" or "holy crap I need to get to the ER NOW"?

After this goes down, he drives himself to the emergency room. Would it be realistic for him to go into shock, get dizzy, etc?

(and don't worry...the girl gets hers...she's a freaking psycho...)

GirlWithPoisonPen · Dec 21, 2008

I think it's "damn, I'm going to have to get some stitches." Significant blood loss would come if the cuts severed a vein or artery, which is very possible with the locations you've mentioned.

If he's dizzy or in shock, he'd need someone to drive him.

thethinker42 · Dec 21, 2008

GirlWithPoisonPen said:
I think it's "damn, I'm going to have to get some stitches." Significant blood loss would come if the cuts severed a vein or artery, which is very possible with the locations you've mentioned.

If he's dizzy or in shock, he'd need someone to drive him.

How fast would that happen? (assuming an artery hasn't been severed)

He leaves almost immediately after the injuries happen, more of a "fight or flight, get me TF out of here" reaction.

Rabe · Dec 21, 2008

Being 'dizzy' or 'in shock' wouldn't have to come from major blood loss.

Sometimes just seeing blood loss is enough to do it to others.

Take me for example. I'm good with seeing other people poked, prodded, bruised, cut, etc.

But I *CAN'T* look at my own blood being taken in a blood draw. Doing so results in me getting dizzy and the world going gray - sometimes black. When I slashed my lower leg open to where I saw bone, I kept cool and calm because I knew that if I made it seem that bad, the people I was with (two women and a man - the toddler probably would have thought it was way cool) would freak and THEY would probably go into shock. I was able to be calm and cool until the first needle went into my leg to begin stitching it back together. Then dizzy and gray world.

And that wasn't so much blood. Relatively little amount of blood actually. Just one thin line going from the bottom of the wound to the top of my sock. Ruined a perfectly good sock too!

Especially if I have another repeat of the thought "Should my blood look like grape Kool-Aid?"

So, if what you're looking for is more the 'in shock' part of it, then just have your character have the reaction based on what is there.

thethinker42 · Dec 21, 2008

Fair enough about the sight of blood. My main concern is whether or not he would be able to - with the amount of blood he's losing - get himself to the hospital, or if he'd need someone else to take him, pass out, etc.

mscelina · Dec 21, 2008

If they have been drinking, he will bleed like a pig. Period. No matter what is cut. BLOOD EVERYWHERE. Trust me.

thethinker42 · Dec 21, 2008

mscelina said:
If they have been drinking, he will bleed like a pig. Period. No matter what is cut. BLOOD EVERYWHERE. Trust me.

He hasn't been drinking...she has. But...duly noted...

mscelina · Dec 22, 2008

If you're using porcelain to cut him with, the cut will be wide as opposed to deep. Depending on where you hit him, it might hit a major vein or artery, but the bleeding is likely to be slow and steady otherwise (like on the cheek or the forehead, for example). A glass cut will be deeper and bleed quicker at first, but (unless you sever an artery or vein) would stop bleeding quicker too.

thethinker42 · Dec 22, 2008

mscelina said:
If you're using porcelain to cut him with, the cut will be wide as opposed to deep. Depending on where you hit him, it might hit a major vein or artery, but the bleeding is likely to be slow and steady otherwise (like on the cheek or the forehead, for example). A glass cut will be deeper and bleed quicker at first, but (unless you sever an artery or vein) would stop bleeding quicker too.

Good to know. He's going to be having a hell of a day: porcelain AND glass cuts. Not enough to hit an artery or anything, just a LOT of cuts.

Now, once he gets away from her, he's in the "flight" part of fight/flight...running like hell to get away from her. Would that have any impact on how much he bleeds? (increased heart rate, a lot of movement, etc)

Basically, I'm trying to decide if he can get himself to the hospital or if he needs help, and if it's realistic for him to lose consciousness/black out at some point. Poor guy really is having a hell of a day...

mscelina · Dec 22, 2008

Unlike she knocks him to the point that he's dizzy or cuts an artery so he's losing a lot of blood, he could drive himself there. Keep the cut away from the eyes so that he won't have blood running into them--unless you want him to die in a fiery crash on the way. He would black out if he lost a lot of blood quickly.

Increased heart rate is pretty much going to happen regardless just from the shock of the injury.

If you want my honest advice, I'd let her whack him with a piece of china, hard enough that he gets several cuts on the side of his face and jaw, with one of them deep enough to require stitches. That should neither make him too dizzy or make him lose too much blood. The ET visit could still be icky, because porcelain, unlike thin glass, will leave nasty little shards in the cuts--even the ones that can be butterflied together--and that would make his time there very bad. Glass is more likely to leave larger pieces--shards, really, and they would be imbedded deeper than the porcelain would. They will be picking all kinds of slivers out of his flesh. If he pulled out a big piece on his own, THAT wound would then bleed faster and more, so have him be smart enough to leave it to the ER crew. Now AFTER that, he'd have to call someone to come and get him. They would give him a shot for pain, and locals to stitch wounds. They wouldn't admit him, but they wouldn't let him drive home either.

thethinker42 · Dec 22, 2008

mscelina said:
Unlike she knocks him to the point that he's dizzy or cuts an artery so he's losing a lot of blood, he could drive himself there. Keep the cut away from the eyes so that he won't have blood running into them--unless you want him to die in a fiery crash on the way. He would black out if he lost a lot of blood quickly.

Nope, she's not going to get him in the face. This is all on the back and shoulder except for a couple of deep gashes on one arm. (Trust me...makes sense in the context of the scene...)

If you want my honest advice, I'd let her whack him with a piece of china, hard enough that he gets several cuts on the side of his face and jaw, with one of them deep enough to require stitches. That should neither make him too dizzy or make him lose too much blood. The ET visit could still be icky, because porcelain, unlike thin glass, will leave nasty little shards in the cuts--even the ones that can be butterflied together--and that would make his time there very bad. Glass is more likely to leave larger pieces--shards, really, and they would be imbedded deeper than the porcelain would. They will be picking all kinds of slivers out of his flesh. If he pulled out a big piece on his own, THAT wound would then bleed faster and more, so have him be smart enough to leave it to the ER crew. Now AFTER that, he'd have to call someone to come and get him. They would give him a shot for pain, and locals to stitch wounds. They wouldn't admit him, but they wouldn't let him drive home either.

Good points all around, and duly noted.

He won't have to worry about anyone giving him a ride. Some nice men show up with a pair of matching silver bracelets for him to wear in the car...

mscelina · Dec 22, 2008

He gets ARRESTED for getting HIT?

Good lord, this dude is having a bad day.

thethinker42 · Dec 22, 2008

mscelina said:
He gets ARRESTED for getting HIT?

Good lord, this dude is having a bad day.

I told you he's having a bad day. The girl's a psycho, I'm telling you.

If you want the full scoop of what happens, PM me.

mscelina · Dec 22, 2008

His day probably started like this:

thethinker42 · Dec 22, 2008

Pretty much. Just went downhill from there.

mscelina said:
His day probably started like this:

Rabe · Dec 22, 2008

thethinker42 said:
Good to know. He's going to be having a hell of a day: porcelain AND glass cuts. Not enough to hit an artery or anything, just a LOT of cuts.

Now, once he gets away from her, he's in the "flight" part of fight/flight...running like hell to get away from her. Would that have any impact on how much he bleeds? (increased heart rate, a lot of movement, etc)

Basically, I'm trying to decide if he can get himself to the hospital or if he needs help, and if it's realistic for him to lose consciousness/black out at some point. Poor guy really is having a hell of a day...

Yes. Increased heart rate could increase the bleeding. But if he's smart enough to try to create a compression or someway to stop the bleeding that'll help. The adrenaline could help offset shock until it began to wear off. Then a lot of it comes back with a vengeance.

So, if you have him beaten bloody by the psycho girl, he grabs a dish towel and wraps around the major part of the arm wounds or presses it against the facial wounds and then jumps in the car to get away and get medical help. Along the way the adrenaline begins wearing off and he blacks out (if you want him too) or he makes it to the ER before blacking out.

Written well and it'll come out alright in the end. And it'll all come from the fight or flight response.

Rabe...

thethinker42 · Dec 22, 2008

Rabe said:
Yes. Increased heart rate could increase the bleeding. But if he's smart enough to try to create a compression or someway to stop the bleeding that'll help. The adrenaline could help offset shock until it began to wear off. Then a lot of it comes back with a vengeance.

So, if you have him beaten bloody by the psycho girl, he grabs a dish towel and wraps around the major part of the arm wounds or presses it against the facial wounds and then jumps in the car to get away and get medical help. Along the way the adrenaline begins wearing off and he blacks out (if you want him too) or he makes it to the ER before blacking out.

Interesting. He's not going to have time to put anything on it - he's getting the hell out of there before she comes at him again (crazy little wench...). Good to know about the adrenaline wearing off.

Written well and it'll come out alright in the end. And it'll all come from the fight or flight response.

Cool, thanks!

Rabe · Dec 23, 2008

thethinker42 said:
Interesting. He's not going to have time to put anything on it - he's getting the hell out of there before she comes at him again (crazy little wench...). Good to know about the adrenaline wearing off.
Cool, thanks!

yeah...once the fight or flight situation is gone, then the glands will stop dropping adrenaline into the system and shock begins setting in. Not to mention the effects of whatever blood loss he may have sustained to that point.

but overall, yeah...blacking out is definitely in the realm of believability.

Let me guess - psycho girl calls up the cops and does the big eyed teary thing stating how big bad man attacked her, tried to rape her and she had to hurt him in defending herself?

Rabe...

thethinker42 · Dec 23, 2008

Rabe said:
Let me guess - psycho girl calls up the cops and does the big eyed teary thing stating how big bad man attacked her, tried to rape her and she had to hurt him in defending herself?

But of course!

Blood Loss - Spinoff of Smashing Bottles Thread

thethinker42

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GirlWithPoisonPen

Mata Hari

thethinker42

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Rabe

the living dead

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mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

thethinker42

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mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

thethinker42

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mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

thethinker42

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mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

thethinker42

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mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

thethinker42

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Rabe

the living dead

thethinker42

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Rabe

the living dead

thethinker42

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