One of the things that anyone in charge of family safety needs to know how to do is how to stop bleeding.
It’s one of those things that can look terrifying, especially if the red stuff is gushing out of someone you care about, and you don’t know what to do.
I learn that for myself when my wife had her left hand ripped open in a boating accident.
The good news is that most times, a cut or other wound won’t be dangerous if you know how to stop bleeding.
Here are a few things you can do if you ever need to help someone who is bleeding seriously.
Never use a tourniquet, unless the decision has been made to not sacrifice the limb to save the life of the patient.
The type of bleeding matters
Note how the blood is flowing.
A person whose blood is seeping out steadily is in a less dangerous position than if the blood is spurting strongly.
If the bleeding is slow and seeping, apply gentle direct pressure with something that will absorb the blood. Ideally, this should be a sterile or at least a clean cloth. You may already know this instinctively, but it bears repeating.
Strongly spurting blood is fresh, oxygen-rich blood coming out of the arteries and will usually be bright red. If not stopped, this kind of bleeding can be extremely dangerous to the patient.
If the bleeding is strong or spurts, use strong direct pressure.
Help the blood clot
For most people, blood will clot automatically.
But this takes time, time that the blood doesn’t have if the bleeding is serious.
That’s why direct pressure with a cloth or bandage is used.
If the bleeding is major you have something to speed up clotting like QuickClot, CELOX or HemCon, use it.
Use indirect pressure
Another way to slow the blood flow is to apply indirect pressure to key pressure points.
Use your fingers to press the blood vessel against the bone. The most commonly used pressure points are:
- The brachial artery, which runs on the inside of the arm between the elbow and armpit. Use this pressure point for wounds on the lower arm and hand.
- The femoral artery, which runs along the groin near the bikini line. Use this for wounds on the thigh.
- The popliteal artery, which is found behind the knee. Use this for wounds on the lower leg.
This video shows how the brachial artery is used to slow down bleeding:
Calm the patient
Reassure and calm the person down.
We’re trying to get the heart rate to slow down a little, so coach him or her to take slow, deep breaths.
A reminder: saying “calm down doesn’t really work”.
Getting them to focus on a task, like deep breathing, will distract them and maximizes the exchange of oxygen in the lungs.
Use gravity
You can let gravity help by placing the wound higher than the heart. This may not always be possible, but if the patient can manage it, try to get the blood to flow with gravity from the limbs to the body.
Gravity can also be used to try to get as much oxygen-rich blood to flow to the brain as possible despite the drop in blood pressure caused by the injury.
Have the person lie down, preferably with their head lower than the rest of their body if he or she is able to do so.
Stay the course
Once the pressure has been applied, stay the course for at least 15 minutes until professional medical help arrives.
Do not slacken the pressure to peek at the wound.
If the cloth or bandage has become soaked, layer another one on top of it. Do not remove any of them.
Other considerations
Never use a tourniquet, unless the decision has been made to not sacrifice the limb to save the life of the patient.
If you don’t have gloves and you want to avoid getting your hands bloody, see if the patient can use their own hands to apply the pressure.
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