First Aid Tips: How To Stop Bleeding

All bleeding can be stopped, regardless of how serious the cut or laceration is. Having said that, certain wounds bleed a lot, and only the correct first aid procedures can stop the bleeding.

Preparation and awareness are essential for successfully treating any wound. This begins with always keeping a properly equipped first aid kit. It is also critical to determine when bleeding needs emergency treatment.

Emergency Bleeding

People aren’t always sure if a wound is bad enough to warrant dialing 911. Alternatively, they may hesitate to contact them due to a lack of insurance. When in doubt, it is always advisable to err on the side of caution and make the decision.

As a general guideline, you should contact 911 or take the wounded person to the local emergency hospital if:

• The incision is deep enough to disclose the underlying dermis or fatty subcutaneous layer
• If the wound is infected
• 10 minutes of hard, constant pressure will not stop the bleeding.
• The wounded individual is in a state of shock.

Even if you can stop the bleeding, don’t assume that medical attention is no longer required. To heal correctly, the wound may still need sutures. To prevent the danger of tetanus or rabies, some wounds need immunization. If not appropriately treated, lacerations or puncture wounds on joints and other susceptible regions of the body may result in irreversible nerve, ligament, or tendon damage.

Therefore, it is critical to seek emergency medical attention if:

• A wound is gaping, and you can’t gently massage the edges together
• A joint has a severe laceration or puncture wound.
• The wound has been infected by a filthy or rusted item
• A human or animal bite caused the wound.
• The wound is located on or around the genitals.

Symptoms to Look Out For

Even if the bleeding has stopped, a healthcare practitioner should nearly always be consulted if the incision is deep or there is excessive, spurting blood. The same is true if there is a considerable loss of blood, which might result in hypovolemic shock, a potentially fatal condition.

Call 911 if the injured person exhibits any of the following symptoms of shock:

• Skin that is pale, chilly, and clammy
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Having trouble breathing
• A fast heartbeat
• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats
• Disorientation or perplexity
• Dry lips or excessive thirst
• No urine production or dark urine

If the wound gets infected, you should seek medical attention. If the wounded individual has a high temperature, chills, nausea or vomiting, and a quickly spreading region of hot, swollen, and painful skin, immediately get medical attention. These might be symptoms of cellulitis, a potentially fatal illness.

How to Put Together a First Aid Kit

While you can buy a fully packed first aid kit from Sam Medical, you may also have a bag with some essentials. If you opt to assemble your kit (for the home, vehicle, workplace, etc.), include the following items:

• Absorbent compress dressings
• Sterile gauze pads
• Assorted sizes of adhesive bandages
• Roll of sticky cloth tape
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antibacterial wipes
• Ointment containing hydrocortisone
• Roller bandage
• Tweezers

How to stop bleeding

Stopping Bleeding with Direct Pressure

The first step in stopping a bleeding wound is to close the wound. Clotting blood is required to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. Blood does not clot while flowing.

The best approach to put a stop to bleeding is to:

• Apply direct pressure on the wound.
• Use gauze if you have some on hand. Gauze pads keep the blood on the wound and assist the blood components clinging together, facilitating clotting.
• If you don’t have any gauze, terrycloth towels will suffice.
• If the blood seeps through the bandage or gauze, add another layer. Never remove the gauze. By removing blood-soaked gauze from a wound, essential clotting factors are removed, allowing bleeding to restart.
• Once the bleeding has been stopped, begin treating the person for shock.

Stop Bleeding by Elevating Above the Heart

Gravity causes blood to flow down rather than up. If you hold one hand over your head and one at your side, the lower hand will be red, and the upper hand will be pale. You can start by:

• Slowing the flow of blood by elevating the incision/wound above the heart
• Direct pressure gets simpler to apply when the blood slows
• Remember to put direct pressure on the wound and keep it above the heart.

Use Pressure Points to Stop Bleeding

Pressure points are locations of the body where blood veins are located near the surface. When you put pressure  blood arteries, it delays blood flow and hence stops the bleeding.

When applying pressure to a pressure point, ensure it is closer to the heart than the wound. Pressing on a blood artery farther from the heart than the cut does not impact the bleeding.

Remember to keep the wound raised above the heart and apply direct pressure on the wound.

Pressure points that are often used:

• The brachial artery runs through the arm between the shoulder and the elbow.
• The femoral artery runs through the groin region at the bikini line.
• The popliteal artery is located behind

Stop Bleeding Using A Tourniquet

When should a tourniquet be used? The short answer is nearly never.

Tourniquets significantly reduce or obstruct blood flow to the limbs to which they are attached. Using a tourniquet to halt bleeding risks damaging the whole arm or leg. People lose limbs due to using tourniquets, so you have to be extra cautious.

If a tourniquet does not stop bleeding, it was most likely not administered appropriately. Applying a tourniquet is a desperate measure that should only be used in life-or-death situations.

To apply a tourniquet, follow these steps:

1. Wrap a piece of fabric around the wound and tighten it using a windlass threaded through the bandage.
2. Tighten the bandage until the wound stops bleeding. If it still bleeding even after applying a tourniquet, it must be tightened.
3. It’s critical to record the moment a tourniquet was used and tell the paramedics when they come.