Most people get scared when they see blood. This is normal. Knowing how to properly provide assistance to yourself or others in case of heavy bleeding helps to stay calm and provide effective help in time.
External bleeding is heavy if you see blood flowing in a stream or clothes quickly soaked with blood. Such bleeding must be stopped immediately, without waiting for medical personnel, because a person can bleed to death from large blood vessels within 1.5 minutes.
Timely first aid for bleeding is a very important but also highly responsible action. If you follow these steps, you will provide targeted and effective aid.
Ask those nearby to call emergency services at 112. If no one is nearby, call emergency services after stopping the bleeding.
First aid for bleeding: effective steps to stop the bleeding:
1. Direct pressure
The most important step is to press the blood vessel that is bleeding. The blood must clot to start the healing process and stop the bleeding. Mechanical pressure on the wound with fingers or palm using a special dressing (gauze) or clean cloth helps form a clot. If the dressing becomes soaked with blood, apply a second layer, but never remove the dressing to avoid disrupting the clotting process.
2. Pressure dressing
To maintain pressure, bandage the wound with a bandage. To increase pressure, use a hard object, such as an unrolled bandage roll or a mobile phone, and secure it with the bandage. This ensures constant pressure at the bleeding site.
3. Elevation of the limb above heart level
If there is no bone fracture, raise the injured limb above heart level to reduce blood flow to the wound and make it easier to stop the bleeding.
4. Compression of major blood vessels
If bleeding does not stop within 5 minutes, press the main blood vessel between the heart and the wound:
- In case of an arm wound: press the brachial artery on the inner side of the arm.
- In the leg: press the femoral artery at the bikini line. Once bleeding stops, release the pressure.
Regarding stopping bleeding, it is important to note that if there is a foreign object in the wound – glass, a piece of iron, etc. – it must not be pulled out under any circumstances, as removing it can cause massive bleeding. You should try to stabilize the foreign object so that it does not move.
