Cauterizing Bullet Wounds - Survival Advice

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May 01, 2009

Survival Guru Tony Nester

In the movie Rambo, Sly heats up a metal rod and uses it to cauterize a bullet wound. Is this effective?

— LCPL Michael Barnes
Camp Pendleton, California

Survival Guru Answer

Ah, where would the survival industry be without Rambo and his magical knife? This is another example of what I call the TBH (Trained By Hollywood) effect that many of us succumb to. Much of what is passed to viewers of television shows and movies—as it relates to survival—doesn’t translate to the real world.

So, to answer your question: No, it is not effective. You are essentially sealing in any bacteria and crud. I know, "The Romans and Apaches did it," you say. But they also allowed for a huge attrition rate in their warriors from combat-related mortality and "improvised" medicine."

Do you have a question of your
own?

I even ran this question by a colleague of mine who teaches for the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS. He said that Johnny Rambo, with his Special Forces background, should have known better and kept the wound clean with frequent changes of gauze and antiseptics (most likely herbal meds gathered under wilderness conditions). Not exactly the vein-bulging, face-contorting scene a producer is looking to include.

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Survival Guru
Tony Nester is the founder and director of Ancient Pathways, a wilderness skills company specializing in desert survival and primitive technology. With 18 years of survival training under his belt, Nester has instructed the U.S. Military, National Park Service, and actors, including Emile Hirsch for his role in Into the Wild. He is the author of three books and teaches a number of survival courses throughout the year.