GotoAID - Bleeding

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Bleeding

When soft tissue is injured, bleeding will occur. Bleeding reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Severe bleeding can quickly become life threatening. Limiting blood loss is a high priority when caring for an injured person. Blood flows away from the heart in arteries. Arterial bleeding is bright red and will spurt from the wound. It can be difficult to control due to the pressure created by the heart’s contractions. Veins return blood to the heart. If the blood is dark red and flowing steadily, it is coming from a vein. Bleeding from a vein can be heavy but is usually easier to control than arterial bleeding.

Symptoms

Open injury	Bloodstained clothes
Obvious bleeding	Pools of blood on ground

Steps

Expose the injury site by cutting or tearing away clothing. Quickly inspect injury to locate exact point of bleeding.

Using a clean, absorbent pad, apply direct pressure to the bleeding site. If a pad is not available, apply direct pressure with a gloved hand.

If wound continues to bleed and soaks through pad, leave the initial pad in place and apply more pads.

If bleeding is controlled with direct pressure, apply a pressure bandage. Wrap a roller or elastic bandage around injury, incorporating enough pressure to maintain bleeding control.

Warnings

Be safe! Make sure repeated injury does not occur.

A bleeding person exposes first aid providers to potentially infectious body fluids. Use barriers, such as disposable gloves.

The sight of blood or open wounds should not distract you from the priorities of care. An injured person needs to have an open airway and normal breathing before external bleeding is attended to.

The routine use of hemostatic agents is not recommended to control bleeding.

Avoid wrapping a pressure bandage so tightly it causes tingling or numbness. Make sure a finger can be slipped underneath.

Tips

Always activate EMS for serious external bleeding or if you are in doubt about its severity.

When barriers are not available, the injured person can provide self-care or a provider can use improvised barriers.

Tourniquets work effectively under certain circumstances, such as in combat situations where soldiers are trained to use commercially produced versions. Tourniquets can cause permanent crushing injury to muscles and nerves, the amputation of limbs, shock, and death. As a result, the routine use of tourniquets for bleeding control is indicated only if direct pressure does not work or is not possible.

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