Without reading all of the above, here is my opinion on the topic: use the reduced lethality rules in the AToW Companion. They allow the DM to multiply the PC's health or fatigue by (I think) up to a multiple of 4.
True, you still have to worry about consciousness checks; however, in my play testing, it has not been a problem. I allow a PC to become conscious again if a fellow PC makes a successful med-tech skill roll.