Bleeding Acute and Severe

Treatment of Bleeding: 

• 1. Apply pressure using what ever is available (even a bike shirt is better then letting the patient bleed out. You may want to have the patient apply pressure with their own hand. If you consider the wound serious, have someone call 911 if you're in a location that has mobile service.

  2. Elevate the limb ONLY if your sure there are no broken bones or spinal injuries..

  3. If you suspect arterial bleeding (bright red blood spurting from wound), proceed with applying pressure to the appropriate pressure point (see diagram below).

  4. If you carry medical supplies proceed as follows:

     1. 1. Apply a 4x4, other gauze dressing, or what ever you have to wound and continue to apply pressure. If the patient is able, have them hold the dressing while you set yourself to wrap the wound

        2. Wrap with a roller gauze, overlapping about 50%. Do not wrap to tight. Check the hand for warmth and nails for capillary refill (press the nail until it blanches, let go, and it should turn pink in seconds). Also loosen the wrapping if the patient complains of tingling in fingers or toes. Extend about 2 inches above and below the bleeding area. See video.

        3. Consider adding additional gauze pads and wrap if they get soaked though. Do not remove the old soaked warping

        4. If the bleeding continues,consider applying pressure to an arterial pressure point intermittently (see diagram below). Also, consider homeostatic agent such as Celox (which when to would will cause blood to clot and stop the bleeding).

        5. Persistent severe bleeding may require a tourniquet but ONLY by those familiar with such techniques, until help arrives. This should only be done as a last resort since it may cost the patient their limb. Do so only in severe injuries with uncontrolled arterial bleeding (bright red spurting blood) or in partial or complete amputations.