And then there were seven

The owner of a turf farm in Wisconsin was irrigating his fields when the pump kept shutting itself off. He assumed that the oil sensor shut-off switch was to blame, that either this switch was loose or was shorting out. He put his right hand behind the front panel in order to test the sensor and ensure it was working properly. That is when the fan belt from the engine hit his right hand, causing severe injury. The thumb was damaged to the first knuckle and index finger was damaged to the second knuckle. The middle finger was completely severed just before the second knuckle.

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The farmer yelled to his son, who was nearby, that the irrigation pump had just cut off his fingers. They drove to their house, just down the road, in a small truck. In their urgency, a rear tire blew out. Luckily, they were already very close to the house and were able to coast into the driveway.

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The farmer's wife saw him speeding into the driveway, with one flat tire, and saw the look on her husband's face. At first, she thought that maybe he had forgotten some urgent appointment. She noticed that he was holding his right hand between his legs as he got out of the truck. As she walked over to him, he told her that he had cut them badly. The farmer's wife, a former 13-year employee of an Emergency Medical Team (EMT), knew that he was in dire need of medical assistance. She walked him into the house and wrapped his hand with a clean towel, advising him to apply pressure and hold his hand above his heart to slow the bleeding. She called 911 and informed them of her husband's condition, age, and how the accident occurred. As their son came into the house, she told him that he needed to go back to the site of the incident and find the missing middle finger before the emergency team arrived.

Wisconsin has a group of emergency technicians who are similar to EMTs, due to the fact that Wisconsin has so many large, widely spread rural areas. These First Responders can do almost anything that EMTs can, except give medication, use defibrillators and other similar procedures. A First Responder arrived about 5 minutes after the 911 call. He gave the injured farmer oxygen and the farmer's wife asked if the First Responder would call Flight for Life. This was the best chance they had to save her husband's fingers. The First Responder allowed the wife to contact the ambulance, which was on its way, via radio and ask them to call in Flight for Life. Flight for Life landing zones in rural areas are coordinated through the Fire Department and Sheriff's Department. They are best able to ensure the safety of the area by checking for power lines and they relay the coordinates to the pilot of the emergency helicopter.

Soon after that, the ambulance arrived. They loaded the injured farmer into the ambulance and drove him to the field where a landing zone had been created. The helicopter landed and the farmer was transferred on board. The flight crew administered medication immediately and delivered the farmer to Froedert Memorial Hospital, which specializes in reattachment of hands and fingers, within 12 minutes. The farmer was in surgery within 1 hour of the accident. The surgery lasted 7 hours and in the end, they were unable to reattach the middle finger, as the nerve and tissue damage were too severe.

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Doctors stated that the index finger was most difficult to repair and required pins and the introduction of a blood vessel taken from the farmer's arm. The thumb was much easier, requiring less invasive methods.

After the surgery, the farmer was moved to his hospital room. Since the first 3 days after surgery are the most critical, the farmer's room had to maintain a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and his wounds had to be checked hourly. After 5 days in the hospital, the farmer was sent to the Hand Center, where many patients are seen in a large, open room. After 1 month, they began to notice that the index finger had some dead tissue. It was decided to remove the first knuckle on this finger to prevent a dangerous infection from setting in. All this has been traumatic for the farmer having to undergo physical therapy to relearn fine motor skills, the pain of nerve re-growth, and the loss of his index finger tip after its salvation. In addition he has many problems trying to do the day-to-day tasks required to run a farm.

The reason this story is close to my heart is because the farmer is my father. In conclusion, complacency can lead to dangerous situations. Situational awareness is prudent, as it may save you from being maimed.

by SSgt Shannon D. Keller, Barksdale AFB, La.

Photos by: A1C Austin Knox

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Department of the Air Force
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group