Living in the city, when both a pharmacy and medical institutions are in the access zone, providing assistance with bleeding is not difficult. However, on vacation outside the city or in the event that you witnessed or participated in an accident on the highway, the ability to use available tools for first aid can save a person's life. It is the victims with bleeding who need priority care.
Determine the type of bleeding
Does the blood come out of the wound like a pulsating fountain and has a bright color? This is a sign of arterial bleeding.
Is the blood dark and draining slowly from the wound? This is venous bleeding.
Does the victim have a pale complexion, he complains of dry mouth and thirst, and the limbs have an unnatural position? Most likely, we are talking about closed bleeding.
Prioritize care
If there are several victims, you should first stop the bleeding by those who can help you in the future. These are victims without fractures and with minor wounds. Bandage their wounds, then instruct them to call emergency services and find first aid kits or materials at hand to help other victims. They can tear clothes on bandages, look for sticks that will be useful for splints.
Primary control of bleeding
In order not to waste time dressing each patient, try to find a place where you can squeeze the damaged vessel with your finger or fist. If the bleeding is arterial, we squeeze above the wound, if venous - below it. In case of wounds of the vessels of the neck, arterial bleeding is compressed below the wound. If the blood can be stopped in this way, show the victims how to properly clamp the vessel and proceed to the next step.
Permanent stop of bleeding
Even if you have a first-aid kit, there is usually only one tourniquet, and therefore you need to use available tools. The most popular and effective way to stop bleeding is to apply a twist. At this stage, victims with arterial bleeding are the first to need your help. To make a twist, twist a piece of clothing (dress, shirt) into a tourniquet and apply it 3-4 cm higher above the wound, if possible, placing a cloth (leg, sleeve) under the twist. Tie the ends of the tourniquet into a knot, insert any stick into the ring and twist until the bleeding stops. Then fix the twist by tucking the stick under the tourniquet. Cover the wound with a bandage.
Victims with venous bleeding need to apply a tight bandage to the wound. If you have a shortage of clean bandages, then use them wisely, applying a 6-8-layer bandage ONLY to the wound site. Make a tight bandage from available tools.
Provide assistance to victims with internal bleeding
Alas, it is impossible to provide proper assistance to this category in the field. Internal bleeding requires surgery. If there is bleeding from the vessels of the limb, then apply a tourniquet or twist above the site of the alleged injury. If bleeding from internal organs is evidenced by the nature of the injury and the localization of pain, as well as uncharacteristic protrusions due to internal hematoma, then the only way you can help is to cover the victim and give him a warm drink.
Pause
When primary care is provided, you should assess your capabilities in order to understand how to proceed further.
1. Inscribe on the body at the site of injury the date the bandage was applied and, if possible, the name of the victim. If possible, it is better to use a sheet of paper, enclosing it in your passport. Put your passport or other document in your pocket.
2. If help has already been called, do not change your location by choosing a natural hiding place. If the settlement is close, rescuers will arrive quickly, if the settlement is far away, then unnecessary movements will take away strength.
3. If no help is available, write down your coordinates (if possible) and send a few of the least injured people for help. It is important that they have several phones, so that in the event of a network appearance, replace the dead device with a workable one. To do this, only one phone must be turned on - all the others are turned off.
4. Continue to provide first aid.
After the bleeding from the wounds has stopped, proceed to the injured with fractures, burns and other injuries. Not forgetting that every half hour it is necessary to remove the tourniquet so that tissue necrotization does not occur.
In emergency situations, it is important not to get confused and provide assistance, first of all, to those whom you can really help!
