Bleeding

Even if you cannot stop the bleeding altogether, reducing the flow of blood may be enough to save life.

 

If a deep cut cases blood to flow

1.  Lay the casualty down. Remove clothing from around the wound if you can, without wasting time

2.  If there is no large foreign object in the wound, press down hard on it with any clean absorbent material or your bare hands.  If possible, raise the wound above the level of the heart to slow the flow of blood.

3.  Maintain the pressure for five to fifteen minutes,  While doing so, place an absorbent pad, such as the inside of a clean folded handkerchief or pillow case, over the wound, and bandage it firmly in place with a scarf or piece of clean linen.

4.  If blood seeps through the dressing, do not remove it.  Put another on top.

5.  Telephone 911 (call the emergency number in your area) and ask for an ambulance or take the casualty to the accident and Emergency Department at your local hospital.

 

If the wound is large

Squeeze the sides of the wound together gently but firmly, and maintain the pressure for five to fifteen minutes,  If possible, raise the wound above the level of the heart.  Continue as for a deep cut (step 3)

 

If there is a large foreign body in the skin

1.  Squeez the edges of the wound together around the foreign body. 

DON’T TRY TO REMOVE IT, AS IT MAY BE PLUGGING THE WOUND.

2.  Put a piece of clean cloth over the wound.  Then put a thick cucular pad of clean material around the wound, preferably higher than the object, to prevent pressure on it

3.  Bandage it with diagonally applied strips of material that do not go over the foreign body.

4.  Call the emergency number and ask for an ambulance, or take the casualty to the Accident and Emergency Department of your local hospital

 

If the bleeding will not stop

1.  A severely bleeding arm. 

As a last resort, press your figner between the muscles on the underside of the upper arm.  This will compress the brachial artery, which roughly follows the seam of the sleeve.  Press up and in, pushing the artery against the bone.

* DO NOT MAINTAIN PRESSURE FOR LONGER THAN 15 MINUTES.  YOU MAY CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE LIMB

* DO NOT APPLY A TOURNIQUET

 

A severely bleeding leg

As a last resort, lay the casualty down with the injured  leg bent.  Press down in the centre of ther fold of the groin with both thumbs, one on top of the other, against the rim of the pelvis.  This will compress the femoral artery.

DO NOT MAINTAIN PRESSURE FOR LONGER THAN 15 MINUTES.  YOU MAY CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE LIMB

* DO NOT APPLY A TOURNIQUET.

 

2.  Tell someone to call the emergency and ask for an ambulance

 

If an injured person bleeds from nose, ear or mouth

1.  This can indicate severe injury to head or chest.  Put the casualty in a half-sitting position, with the head inclined towards the injured side, to allow the blood to drain.

2. Cover the bleeding point, but do not apply pressure

3. Call the emergency number and ask for an ambulance.

4.  If the person becomes unconscious, put her in the recovery position 

Recovery Position

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