How should you proceed, if there is an embedded object (wire, stick, knife) in the leg of an accident victim?

The question is about what to do when an embedded object, for example a wire, a stick or a knife, is stuck in the leg of a casualty. You do not remove it, you secure the wound by immobilising the embedded object, and you call for help - answer C.

An embedded object often stops the bleeding itself, because it plugs the damaged blood vessels. Removing it (answer A) can cause heavy bleeding and injure the tissues further, especially if it has barbs or a blade. However, it is not enough to leave it without touching the wound (answer B) - an object that moves keeps causing injury with every movement of the leg. That is why you pack rolled-up bandages or gauze around the object so that it does not move, and fix it all with a dressing, without pressing on the object itself. If the object is long or attached to something, you do not cut it off or shorten it - the rescue services do that. The Road Traffic Act requires you to give the necessary help and to call an ambulance, and only a doctor removes the embedded object.

Legal basis: Art. 44 para. 2 point 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)