How to Manage a Patient With Severe Bleeding

Here's how to manage severe bleeding in an emergency situation

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• gloves
• gauze
• a calm attitude

1. Check the scene for safety. Do not enter a dangerous scene and become another patient. It's not worth it.

2. Obtain consent to care for the patient. If the patient is a child under 18, obtain cinsent from a parent or guardian. If the person is unconscious, assume implied consent.

3. Apply direct pressure with a gloved hand and gauze to the bleeding area. Continue applying presure until the bleeding stops.

4. If the blood soaks through the gauze, DO NOT REMOVE IT, instead, add more gauze and press harder

5. Elevate the effected area if situation permits (as long as it will not cause further harm- for exapmle, if the patient has a severe fracture or head, neck or spinal injury, it may cause a more critical injury.)

6. Apply pressure to the porximal pressure points if you are trained to do so

7. Get an ambulance if the bleeding is very severe and will not stop

8. (For trained personnel only). if bleeding continues to be severe despite the above techniques, slightly remove the compresses and reassess for the point of bleeding.

Tips & Warnings

• only do this if PPE (personal protective equiptment) is available.
• do not apply hard preesure on a head injury. It can press fragments of the skull into the brain
• do not apply hard pressure to an eye laceration. The eye is made up of fluid and this will force vital fluid out of the eye.