Nurse’s Bra Used For First Aid

CALGARY, AB – Nicky Arsenault, a nurse who had been out at a bar for the evening, found two men on the sidewalk bleeding when she left the bar. One was bleeding very heavily from a large cut on the left side of his head. She started to administer first aid but didn’t have anything to stop the flow of blood.

She took off her bra and used it as a compression bandage. Apparently, even a bra can be a multi-purpose garment! Emergency workers said that Arsenault’s timely action had saved her patient’s life.

I’ve taken first-aid and CPR courses: I don’t remember “Bras As Bandages” taught anywhere in the course curriculum. There is some real humor here though: the man on the ground bleeding owes his life to a bra. Here’s hoping that the guy is appreciative enough to spring for some new lingerie for his heroine.

While you may not know it, the humble bra can actually be a medical device. For instance, you can buy specialized bras to help heart surgery patients. In fact, Dr Kathryn King, a researcher out of the University of Calgary, has developed a special bra to reduce pain. The new design allowed women to wear a bra immediately after surgery, and kept the weight of the breasts from putting pressure on the surgical wound.

The post-heart surgery bra is made with a zipper in the front, so that it’s easy to put on. The fit is tight to reduce movement and pressure. It is free of metal clasps that can interfere with x-rays or other medical imaging devices.

Heck – with a zipper at the front, I think I know other people that might be interested. There are definitely days that I do not want to have to pop a shoulder or wrench an elbow getting my bra clasps done up at the back.

Of course, if you get any kind of significant breast surgery, your bra will be more medical device than glamorous lingerie. In most cases, after surgery you’ll be looking at a compression bra or compression garment of some kind. Most bras that cater to surgery patients will have the closing in the front (although not all) – and may also be recommended for sports where significant reduction of movement is required.

In the meantime, if you should happen to come upon an accident scene, let’s hope you have something else available to use for first aid – besides your bra.

Sources: ShortNews.com, Bio-Medicine.org and reporting from BraWise