Emergency First Aid: Stopping Acute Bleeding - A Step-by-Step Guide

Acute blood loss can range in seriousness from minor to life-threatening. Although serious injuries like compound fractures and lacerations often cause severe bleeding, even relatively minor injuries like scalp cuts can lead to heavy blood loss. The best way to treat bleeding is to get professional medical attention. If you can't get to a hospital or a paramedic, use the following steps to stop the bleeding until you can.

Instructions

• 1

  Apply direct pressure to the wound using your hand or a sterile cloth. In order to prevent infections, avoid using clothing that's dirty or possibly contaminated with bacteria.

• 2

  Cover serious open wounds with a moist cloth and immediately seek medical attention. If organs are showing through the wound, don't try to push them back in unless they slide back themselves.

• 3

  Check the bleeding person for signs of shock. Paleness, dizziness, nausea and a quick pulse are early signs of internal bleeding. If shock is a concern, wrap the person up in a warm blanket and wait until help arrives.

• 4

  Tie a tourniquet around the location of the patient's nearest artery to prevent serious blood loss. Since they completely restrict the flow of blood, make sure you use tourniquets only when direct pressure doesn't work.

• 5

  Continue stacking cloths over the wound if blood seeps through the base layers while applying direct pressure. Removing the initial cloth can reopen the wound and worsen the bleeding.