How to treat bleeding and stop it?

photo source: youtube.com

     

Bleeding from large cuts requires immediate and fast medical treatment, but most small cuts is not really dangerous.  Larger wounds, particularly those where an artery in heart has been damaged, can cause severe bleeding.  It depends on the type of wound and its location, there may be damage to tendons and nerves.

Symptoms to take note:

• Blood from an open wound
• Bruising
• Shock
• Paleness
• Clammy Skin
• Dizziness or light-headedness after an injury
• Rapid pulse, increased heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Shortness of breathe
• Confusion or decreasing alertness
• Abdominal Pain
• Weakness
• External bleeding through a natural opening
• Swollen abdomen or extremity

Causes:

Bleeding may result from injuries or occur spontaneously. Spontaneous bleeding may come from problems in the gastrointestinal or urogenital tract.

What to do?

• For bleeding from human bite

-  If you have  a human bite that is bleeding, apply pressure directly to the bite area and try to raise the wound above heart level.

-  Using a washcloth and mild soap, wash the bite area vigorously under running water for at least 5 minutes.

• For minor bleeding from a small cut or abrasion

-  Rinse the wound thoroughly with water to flush out dirt and debris

-  Wash the wound with a mild soap and rinse thoroughly.  Avoid antiseptic solutions; they do not provide additional protection

-  Cover the wound with a sterile adhesive bandage or sterile gauze and adhesive tape.

-  Examine the wound daily.  If the bandages gets wet, remove it and apply a new one. After the wound forms a scab, a bandage is no longer necessary.

-  If the wound is red, swollen, tender, warm or beginning to drain, consult your doctor.

• For bleeding from a large cut or laceration

-  Wash the wound thoroughly with water to allow you to see the wound clearly and assess its size

-  Place a piece of sterile gauze or a clean cloth over the entire wound. If available, use clean latex or rubber gloves to protect yourself from exposure to      blood.  If you can, raise the bleeding body part above the level of the heart.  Do not apply a tourniquet.

-  With a gauze or cloth on the palm of your hand, apply a direct pressure to the wound for 5 minutes. During this time, do not lift the gauze to check the wound or disturb any blood clots that may form on the gauze.)

- If blood soaks through the gauze, do not remove it. Simply place another gauze pad on top and continue applying pressure.

- For all large cuts or laceration, If you are unable to stop the bleeding after 5 minutes of pressure, if you are unable to thoroughly flush out all dirt and debris, if the wound is on the face or neck, if there is something stuck in the wound, if the cut is more than ½ inch long or appears to be deep, consult your doctor . Large or deep wounds can result in nerve damage.

Tips for Prevention: Use good judgment and keep knives and sharp objects away from small children.

Complications include Hypo tension, Shock and even Death

This video shows how to deal with Bleeding.