How to Treat Severe Bleeding During First Aid

Video Transcript

"You know during the course of everyday life, we're all going to sustain some type of injuries. Hi, I'm Captain Joe Bruni, and what I'm going to go over and discuss is how to stop severe bleeding. When an injury occurs, severe bleeding can cause a great deal of excitement not only for the victim but for the bystanders who are going to perform first aid. The key is to take some type of sterile dressing found in a first aid kit or very clean cloth material and place over the injured site and apply pressure. Pressure in that area will help to stop the bleeding from occurring. With a significant amount of pressure, if that does not stop the bleeding, then the next step would be to raise the injured limb above the person's heart or head and possibly applying pressure to an artery located in the general vicinity to help slow down the blood flow to that injured site. Constant pressure in that area should help to reduce and stop bleeding. Also, some type of cling or wrap can be used to wrap the pressure bandage in place and hold it while continued pressure is applied. After the cling, you may even want to consider some type of elastic or pressure bandage while continuing to hold pressure in that area until the individual can be taken to an emergency department to receive sutures to stop bleeding and to begin the process of healing. Severe bleeding can cause a great deal of excitement not only for the victim but for the rescuer themselves. I'm Captain Joe Bruni. Stay safe and we'll see you next time."