Injured and Alone – What To Do?

By Dr Arun Pal Singh

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

Being injured and alone is one of the most frightening situations as the person is unable to reach anyone for help. while it may be frightening, it is not uncommon.

Remember the movie 127 hours!! Frightening. isn’t it?

Patients of trauma fall into minor injuries or major injuries. A person with major injuries can be conscious or unconscious. Minor injuries can be managed or help for them can be sought at the later time.

If one is alone and unconscious, he/she would be helped only when someone discovers him [If he is fortunate enough to be discovered within a time where help can be offered].

Our main focus of the article is the third group. If you are injured and you are conscious, finding yourself alone with injury is a kind of nightmare.

What To Do? – The Preventive Steps

Preventive Steps -Precautions that you are not injured and alone

Never leave your home without mobile phone.
- This is a great piece of the invention which has a potential of connecting you with others anywhere anytime.
- In the case of some mishappening, this would be of great help when you are alone.
- If you do not have a mobile phone yet and you travel often, you should buy a mobile.
- Not only this ensures enhanced accessibility in case of emergency but also it allows to be more flexible in your schedule.
- You can always communicate changes in your plan and relieve your other members of the stress they face when you are unexpectedly late.
Keep your mobile in order and charge as per requirement so that it does not go off when required.
Always let your family know where you would be going and your expected movements. If there is a delay, keep them informed.
Do not travel in lonely areas at odd times.
When you travel by public transport you are not alone but if you travel in your vehicle to avoid unknown reclusive paths in odd hours until it is an emergency.
Always keep important phone numbers in your phone book and in a diary separately. Latter would serve as back up.

What if you still get injured and are alone.

Say you have no network coverage and you do not have any help around.

Assess your situation.
How bad is it?
Can you keep yourself awake?
Can you speak?
Is there a major bleeding?
Can you move?
Can you speak?
Is any bone broken?
If you can shout for help. If it does not arrive shout again. keep on shouting for help at regular intervals till you get one.
Attend to your bleeding if you can. Put a compression or manual pressure over it.
Shout for help again.
If there is a bone broken try and stabilize that limb or part. Keep your upper limbs against your trunk or chest. Hold it there.
If your lower limb is injured see whether you can stand on other limb and move with discomfort. If yes well and good if no just keep lying and shout for help.
If you are in your house, try calling hospital or police. If your phone is far and you cannot walk, you would have to drag yourself.
This is rare and worse situation. You have multiple injuries and you cannot move, you do not have access to your phone. If you can speak keep shouting for help. In this situation, you cannot depend on yourself. Pray to God to send some immediate help your way.

About Dr Arun Pal Singh

Arun Pal Singh is an orthopedic and trauma surgeon, founder and chief editor of this website. He works in Kanwar Bone and Spine Clinic, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Punjab.

This website is an effort to educate and support people and medical personnel on orthopedic issues and musculoskeletal health.

You can follow him on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter

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