Control blood flow
2Lay victim down
3Secure dressing
4 Summon help
5Monitor victim
Severe bleeding
STROKE • SEVERE BLEEDING
31
A heavy loss of blood is often distressing and can be life-threatening. The aims of first-aid treatment are to stop the bleeding, dress the wound as quickly as possible, and respond to any condition, such as shock or unconsciousness, that may result from heavy loss of blood or from the wound itself.
TREATING SEVERE BLEEDING
1
Control blood flow
• If necessary, remove or cut away any clothing to expose the wound.
• Cover the injury with a sterile wound dressing, a clean pad if you have one, or with your hand.
• Press the wound firmly for 10 minutes, or longer if necessary, until the bleeding stops. Use disposable gloves if available.
• If possible, raise injured part above the victim’ s heart level. If part may be fractured, handle it with care.
Keep part raised above heart level
Keep firm, even pressure on the wound until bleeding stops
2Lay victim down
• If the bleeding does not stop, lay the victim on a firm surface, keeping the injured part raised.
• Loosen any restrictive clothing.
3Secure dressing
• Bandage the wound dressing firmly but not too tightly( p. 61, checking circulation).
• If blood seeps through the dressing, cover it with another one. If bleeding continues, remove both dressings and apply a fresh one.
4 Summon help
• Ask someone to dial 911, or do so yourself.
5Monitor victim
• Watch for signs of shock( p. 27).
• Monitor the victim’ s breathing( p. 68 for an adult, p. 71 for a child or baby), pulse( p. 68 for an adult, p. 70 for a child or baby), and level of consciousness( p. 12) every 10 minutes until help arrives.
! Important
• Use disposable gloves and / or wash your hands well when dealing with body fluids.
• Do not apply a tourniquet.
• If there is an object in a wound, place padding on either side of the object so that the
dressing will rest on the pads, not the object.
• If the victim becomes unconscious, open her airway, check her breathing, and be prepared
to begin resuscitation( pp. 12 – 20).