First aid for bleeding: without panic

Many people are afraid of blood. Some are afraid of any blood, some are afraid of their own. However, we all have to face bleeding. You can live a lifetime and not meet with venous or arterial bleeding, but never see the capillary bleeding is impossible. What should be first aid for bleeding?

Initially, we agree that we are talking about bleeding from wounds, not internal bleeding. That is, we see the damaged skin and the blood flowing from the wound.

The intensity of bleeding is not always associated with the severity of the damage. It happens that severe damage does not bleed very much, but, for example, the scalp damage bleeds quite severely, without being very dangerous.

Some people take medications that reduce blood clotting, or suffer from hemophilia. If the victim is conscious, be sure to specify whether he is in this category. If so, immediately call for an ambulance even if you are not seriously injured.

Try to wear gloves whenever possible. Complete them with your personal or car first aid kit. The fact is that when working without gloves you can get infected with the hepatitis virus or even HIV if the contaminated blood gets into the wound on your hands, so when trying to help, do not forget about your own safety. First aid for bleeding should not involve risky activities. If there are no gloves, try not to touch the blood, use a bandage or gauze.

In some cases, microtrauma is very dangerous, since there is a possibility of infection with tetanus. Therefore, after first aid is given for bleeding, it is necessary to remind the victim of the need to consult a doctor for the introduction of tetanus antiserum.

First of all you need to reassure the victim, your actions should be confident and resolute, even if first aid in bleeding for you is a completely new experience.

Distinguish capillary, venous and arterial bleeding. They differ in the speed and nature of the process of leakage of blood.

With capillary bleeding, blood flows slowly, skin lesions are usually superficial. What should be first aid for capillary bleeding? It is necessary to wash the wound with warm water with antibacterial soap and then apply sterile bandages, cotton wool or gauze. Usually, such bleeding does not cause serious problems.

With venous bleeding, the blood is dark, it does not flow very fast, but such bleeding usually accompanies rather deep injuries. Therefore, it must be taken more than seriously. The first medical aid for bleeding of this kind includes the application of a pressure bandage, and the pressure must be carried out from the side far from the heart. That is, if it's a leg, then from the ankle, if the hand is on the brushes side. After all, venous blood goes from the periphery to the heart. With venous bleeding, you need to call an ambulance.

With arterial hemorrhage, the blood is scarlet and follows with tremors. This bleeding is very dangerous, since a person very quickly loses a lot of blood. The first thing to do is to call an ambulance. The first help in bleeding of the arterial type is to clamp the artery from the side closer to the heart and then apply a tourniquet. Be sure to record the time of application of the tourniquet, because too long its use can cause necrosis of the tissues. If the help did not arrive within an hour, you need to hold the artery, remove the tourniquet for 10-15 minutes, and then apply it again.

If you do not know what type of bleeding, but it is serious, apply two tourniquets, above and below the wound.

If bleeding is serious, try to ensure the patient's recumbency. The damaged part of the body should be raised as much as possible.

If there is a knife or other damaging agent in the wound, do not try to get it out of the wound, it will cause even more damage. This operation can be entrusted only to the doctor.

If the bandage is soaked with blood, do not remove it, but put one more over it. The less you worry the wound, the better.

The main thing, in an extreme situation - to remain calm, so as not to scare the victim even more.