home Analyzes Bleeding, first aid. Providing first aid for bleeding of various types. While providing assistance for bleeding, you must not

Bleeding, first aid. Providing first aid for bleeding of various types. While providing assistance for bleeding, you must not

Since injury, and therefore bleeding due to it, can happen anywhere and anytime, every adult should know how to provide first aid for bleeding.

Types of bleeding and their features

Depending on the type of injured vessel, the following types of bleeding are distinguished:

Arterial;
Venous;
Capillary.

Bleeding is also differentiated by location. The hands are most often injured - bleeding of the upper extremities is the most common type. In second place are leg injuries, and in third place are nosebleeds. The most dangerous type is bleeding of internal organs, since they are difficult to notice in time, and even more difficult to keep the situation under control. Below we will look at the principles of first aid for arterial, venous, nasal and internal bleeding.

First aid for arterial and venous bleeding

Many vaguely remember that first aid for arterial bleeding consists of applying a tourniquet to the vessel, but few know how to do this correctly. Doctors warn: applying a tourniquet can be no less dangerous than loss of blood; an ineptly applied tourniquet can lead to the need for amputation of a limb, and, alas, it often does. How to provide first aid for arterial bleeding without causing harm? Remember, in case of injury to a large artery, there is not much time left, only 3-5 minutes. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Do not wash or otherwise try to disinfect the wound, do not remove small fragments that have fallen there;
Apply a pressure bandage as follows: apply a sterile bandage or clean cloth folded in several layers directly to the wound (it is advisable that the dressing material be sterile; if you don’t have one at hand, use any). Place another roller made of fabric on top. Then bandage everything tightly, after which the limb must be positioned above the level of the body. If everything is done correctly, the bleeding should stop;
If there is nothing at hand that could serve as a dressing, you can try to stop the bleeding by bending the joint located above the wound as much as possible;

First aid for bleeding and wounds using a tourniquet. This method is used if it is not possible to stop the bleeding in another way. The rules are as follows:

A tourniquet (or any long piece of rubber, for example a rubber hose) is applied 5-7 cm above the wound, but not on bare skin, but on a cloth that should be wrapped around the limb, perhaps on a sleeve or pant leg;
Having stretched the tourniquet, apply it in several turns without gaps between them, the first one is not too tight, each subsequent turn is tighter. A sign of a correctly applied tourniquet is stopping bleeding;
The tourniquet should not be applied too tightly so as not to injure the nerves. If severe pain occurs from the tourniquet, the injured vessel must be pressed with a finger, the tourniquet must be removed, the victim should be allowed to rest from the tourniquet, then applied again;
Be sure to record the time of application of the tourniquet! This is an extremely important condition that can save a person from possible disability. It is advisable to write the time for applying the tourniquet with a pen directly on the victim’s skin or clothing. The maximum time for which a tourniquet can be applied is one and a half to two hours in summer and one hour in winter. During this time, the patient should be taken to the hospital; if this is not possible, and the time has expired, the tourniquet must be removed very carefully and slowly; if bleeding resumes, press the vessel with a finger above the wound.

First aid for venous bleeding follows a similar algorithm, the only difference is that the vessel should be pressed below the wound.

First aid for nosebleeds

Typically, nosebleeds are not life-threatening, although they can look scary. However, blood loss can be significant. To prevent this, you must take the following actions:

In the nostril from which the blood is coming, you need to insert a small swab made of cotton wool, bandage, napkin or handkerchief. The tampon should not cause pain;
The person must be seated with his head slightly tilted down. A common mistake is made by people who, as first aid for nosebleeds, lay the person on his back or force him to throw his head back. This can cause blood to drain down the back of the throat;
Place a cold compress or any cold object on the nose area;
Lightly squeeze the wings of the nose.

First aid for internal bleeding

Internal bleeding is difficult to recognize on your own. Its indirect sign after an injury is the deterioration of a person’s condition, paleness of the skin, cold sweat, darkening of the eyes. Blood may be released in vomit or feces, but not necessarily. If you notice such signs, the following should be done as first aid for internal bleeding:

In case of a chest injury, place the person in a semi-sitting position; in case of an abdominal injury, place the person in a supine position;
Provide a flow of fresh air;
Apply cold to the stomach or chest;
Prohibit the victim from eating, drinking, moving and talking;
Take the person to the hospital immediately.

The last point is relevant not only for injuries to internal organs. In the event of massive blood loss, the main point of first aid for bleeding of any kind will be the delivery of the victim to the clinic to provide qualified medical care.

The body of humans and mammals is penetrated by thousands of small, medium and large vessels, which contain a valuable liquid that performs a huge number of functions - blood. Throughout life, a person experiences the influence of a considerable number of harmful factors, among them the most common are traumatic effects such as mechanical damage to tissue. As a result, bleeding occurs.

What it is? The medical science of “pathological physiology” gives the following definition to this condition: “this is the release of blood from a damaged vessel.” At the same time, it pours out or into the body cavity (abdominal, thoracic or pelvic) or organ. If it remains in the tissue, saturating it, it is called hemorrhage; if it freely accumulates in it, it is called a hematoma. A condition in which blood vessels are damaged, most often occurring suddenly, and if there is a strong rapid leakage of vital fluid, a person can die. That is why first aid for bleeding often saves his life, and it would be nice for everyone to know the basics. After all, such situations do not always occur when there are medical workers nearby or even just specially trained people.

What types of bleeding are there and why do they occur?

There are many classifications of this pathological condition and specialists teach them all. However, we are interested in dividing bleeding into types, first of all, from a practical point of view. The following classification is important for successful first aid. It shows the types of bleeding depending on the nature of the damaged vessel.

Arterial bleeding

It comes from the arteries containing oxygenated blood flowing from the lungs to all organs and tissues. This is a serious problem, since these vessels are usually located deep in the tissues, close to the bones, and situations where they are injured are the result of very strong impacts. Sometimes this type of bleeding stops on its own, since the arteries have a pronounced muscular layer. When such a vessel is injured, the latter goes into spasm.

Venous bleeding

Its source is venous vessels. Through them, blood containing metabolic products and carbon dioxide flows from cells and tissues to the heart and further to the lungs. Veins are located more superficially than arteries, so they are damaged more often. These vessels do not contract during injury, but they can stick together because their walls are thinner and their diameter is larger than that of arteries.

Capillary bleeding

Blood bleeds from small vessels, most often the skin and mucous membranes; usually such bleeding is insignificant. Although it can be frighteningly abundant with a wide wound, since the number of capillaries in the tissues of the body is very large.

Parenchymal bleeding

Separately, so-called parenchymal bleeding is also distinguished. The organs of the body are hollow, essentially “bags” with multi-layered walls, and parenchymal, which consist of tissue. The latter include the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, and pancreas. Typically, this type of bleeding can only be seen by a surgeon during an operation, since all parenchymal organs are “hidden” deep in the body. It is impossible to determine such bleeding based on the type of damaged vessel, because the organ tissue contains all their varieties and all of them are injured at once. This is mixed bleeding. The latter is also observed with extensive wounds of the extremities, since the veins and arteries lie nearby.

Depending on whether the blood remains in the cavity of the body or organ or pours out of the body, bleeding is distinguished:

Internal. Blood does not come out, staying inside: in the abdominal, thoracic, pelvic cavities, joints, and ventricles of the brain. A dangerous type of blood loss that is difficult to diagnose and treat because there are no outward signs of bleeding. There are only general manifestations of its loss and symptoms of significant dysfunction of the organ(s).
External bleeding. Blood is poured into the external environment, most often the causes of this condition are injuries and various ailments that affect individual organs and systems. These bleedings can be from the skin and mucous membranes, gastric and intestinal, or from the urinary system. In this case, visible outpourings of blood are called obvious, and those that occur in a hollow organ communicating with the external environment are called hidden. The latter may not be detected immediately after bleeding begins, because it takes time for blood to come out, for example, from a long digestive tube.

Typically, bleeding with clots is external, hidden or internal, when the blood is retained inside the organ and partially coagulates.

Spicy. In this case, a large amount of blood is lost in a short period of time, usually occurring suddenly as a result of injury. As a result, a person develops an acute state (anemia).
Chronic. Long-term loss of small volumes of this biological fluid is usually caused by chronic diseases of organs with ulceration of the vessels of their walls. Causes a state of chronic anemia.

Video: bleeding in the “School of Doctor Komarovsky”

Main causes of bleeding

What can cause bleeding? It is appropriate to note here that two fundamentally different types are also distinguished, based on the factor of whether the normal vessel is damaged or the pathological condition arose against the background of destruction of the altered vascular wall. In the first case, bleeding is called mechanical, in the second - pathological.

The following main causes of bleeding can be identified:

Traumatic injuries. They can be thermal (from exposure to critical temperatures), mechanical (from a bone fracture, wound, bruise). The latter occur in various extreme situations: road accidents, train and plane crashes, falls from a height, fights involving piercing objects, gunshot wounds. There are also industrial and domestic injuries.
Vascular diseases, including tumors (purulent tissue lesions involving blood vessels, atherosclerosis, hemangiosarcoma).
Diseases of the blood coagulation system and liver (fibrinogen deficiency, hypovitaminosis K, hepatitis, cirrhosis).
General diseases. For example, diabetes mellitus, infections (viral, sepsis), lack of vitamins, and poisoning cause damage to the vascular walls throughout the body, as a result of which plasma and blood cells leak through them and bleeding occurs.
Diseases affecting various organs. Bleeding from the lungs can cause tuberculosis, cancer; from the rectum - tumors, hemorrhoids, fissures; from the digestive tract - stomach and intestinal ulcers, polyps, diverticula, tumors; from the uterus - endometriosis, polyps, inflammation, neoplasms.

What is the risk of bleeding for a person?

One of the most important, but by no means the only function of blood is the transport of oxygen and nutrients. It delivers them to the tissues, and takes metabolic products and carbon dioxide from them. With significant bleeding, there is a significant loss of this substance necessary for the body. The nervous system and heart muscle are very sensitive to oxygen deficiency. Brain death, when the flow of blood into it completely stops, occurs in humans and animals in just 5-6 minutes.

However, in addition to the immediate loss of precious oxygen-containing fluid, there is another problem. The fact is that it keeps the blood vessels in good shape and with a significant loss of blood vessels, they collapse. In this case, the oxygen-containing blood remaining in the human body becomes ineffective and can help little. This condition is very dangerous, it is called vascular shock or collapse. It occurs in acute severe cases.

Its consequences described above are life-threatening to the patient and develop very quickly after bleeding.

Blood performs a huge number of functions, among which very important are maintaining the balance of the internal environment of the body, as well as ensuring the communication of organs and tissues with each other by transporting various biologically active substances. In this way, billions of cells in the body exchange information and, as a result, can work harmoniously. Bleeding, to one degree or another, disrupts the constancy of the internal environment of the body and the functions of all its organs.

Often, blood loss does not directly threaten the patient’s life; this is observed in many diseases. In such cases, blood loss is chronic and mild. Replacement of the outflowing blood occurs through the synthesis of plasma proteins by the liver and cellular elements by the bone marrow. Bleeding becomes an important diagnostic sign for recognizing the disease.

Signs of bleeding

Are common

Patient complaints:

Weakness, unmotivated drowsiness;
Dizziness;
Thirst;
Feeling of palpitations and shortness of breath.

External symptoms of blood loss that are observed with any type of bleeding are as follows:

Paleness of the skin and mucous membranes;
Cold sweat;
Increased heart rate;
Dyspnea;
Urinary disorders up to complete absence of urine;
Drop in blood pressure;
Frequent weak pulse;
Impaired consciousness up to and including loss of consciousness.

Local

External effusion of blood

The main local symptom is the presence of a wound on the surface of the skin or mucous membrane and visible bleeding from it. However, the nature of bleeding varies and is directly dependent on the type of vessel.

Capillary is manifested by that the blood collects in large drops and oozes from the entire surface of the wound. Its loss per unit of time is usually small. Its color is red.
Signs of venous bleeding: blood can flow quite quickly when a large vein or several at once is wounded; it flows out of the wound in strips. Its color is dark red, sometimes burgundy. If the large veins of the upper body are injured, there may be intermittent bleeding from the wound (however the rhythm is synchronized not with the pulse, but with breathing).
Signs of arterial bleeding: blood pours out from the site of injury in pulsating tremors - “fountains” (their frequency and rhythm coincide with heartbeats and pulse), its color is bright scarlet, red. Blood loss per unit time is usually rapid and significant.

Manifestations of hidden bleeding

From the lungs - blood is released with a cough (a symptom of hemoptysis), it is foamy, the color is bright red.
From the stomach - the color is brown (the hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice reacts with the blood, the latter changes color). There may be clots.
From the intestines - feces acquire a dark brown or black color and a viscous, viscous consistency (tarry stool).
From the kidneys and urinary tract - urine becomes red (from a brick shade to brown with “rags” - clots and pieces of tissue).
From the uterus and genitals - blood is red, often there are pieces of mucous membrane in the discharge.
From the rectum - scarlet blood can be found in drops on the feces.

Signs of internal bleeding

There is no bleeding into the environment. There are general symptoms of blood loss.
Local manifestations will depend on the location of the vessel damage and in which body cavity the blood accumulates.
- loss of consciousness or confusion, local impairment of motor functions and/or sensitivity, coma.
In the pleural cavity - chest pain, shortness of breath.
In the abdominal cavity - abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, tension in the muscles of the abdominal wall.
In the joint cavity there is swelling, pain on palpation and active movements.

Can the body cope with bleeding?

Nature has provided for the possibility that fragile and delicate living tissues of the body will be injured over a long life. This means that a mechanism is needed to resist the flow of blood from damaged vessels. And people have it. Blood plasma, that is, the liquid part that does not contain cells, contains biologically active substances - special proteins. Together they make up the blood coagulation system. It is assisted by special blood cells - platelets. The result of complex multi-stage blood clotting processes is the formation of a thrombus - a small clot that clogs the affected vessel.

In laboratory practice, there are special indicators that show the state of the blood coagulation system:

Duration of bleeding. An indicator of the duration of blood effusion from a small standard injury caused by a special stylet on a finger or earlobe.
Blood clotting time - shows how long it takes the blood to clot and form a blood clot. Conducted in test tubes.

The normal duration of bleeding is three minutes, time - 2-5 minutes (according to Sukharev), 8-12 minutes (according to Lee-White).

Often, trauma or damage to a vessel by a pathological process is too extensive and natural mechanisms to stop bleeding cannot cope, or a person simply does not have time to wait due to the threat to life. Without being a specialist, it is difficult to assess the condition of the victim, and treatment tactics will vary depending on the cause.

Therefore, a patient who has severe bleeding from a vein or artery must be urgently transported to a medical facility. Before this, he must be provided with emergency assistance. To do this, you need to stop the bleeding. Usually this is a temporary cessation of blood flow from the vessel.

First aid

What methods are known to temporarily stop bleeding? Here they are:

Pressure (pressing a vessel in the wound, applying a pressure bandage).
Applying a hemostatic sponge, ice, irrigation with hydrogen peroxide (for capillary bleeding).
Very strong flexion of the limb.
Dense tamponade with bandage, gauze, cotton wool (for the nasal cavity, deep external wounds).
Application of a hemostatic tourniquet.

Methods to finally stop bleeding, which can only be performed by a doctor and in a hospital setting, are:

Mechanical: ligation of a vessel in a wound, making a vascular suture, suturing the tissue together with the vessel.
Chemical: anti-clotting and vasoconstrictor drugs (calcium chloride, epinephrine, aminocaproic acid)
Thermal: electrocoagulation.
Biological (to stop capillary and parenchymal bleeding during operations): fibrin films, hemostatic sponges, suturing of the body’s own tissues (omentum, muscle, fatty tissue).
Embolization of a vessel (introduction of small air bubbles into it).
Removal of the affected organ or part thereof.

It is very important to determine the type of damaged vessel, because this will determine how to stop the flow of blood from it.

First aid for arterial bleeding

Applying a tourniquet is very effective if a limb vessel is damaged. The method of pressure and tight wound tamponade is also used.

Rules for applying a tourniquet

While he is preparing, you need to press the artery with your fist or fingers to the bones above the wound, remember that when a large vessel is injured, minutes count. The brachial artery is pressed against the shoulder bone along its inner surface, the ulnar artery in the elbow bend, the femoral artery in the groin fold, the tibia in the popliteal fossa, the axillary artery in the cavity of the same name.

The injured leg or arm needs to be raised. Apply a tourniquet, tightening it tightly and placing a towel or rag between it and the skin. If there is no special rubber band, you can use a regular bandage, scarf, thin rubber hose, trouser belt, scarf or even rope. Then it is tied loosely around the limb, a stick is inserted into the loop and twisted until the desired compression is achieved. The criterion for correct application of a tourniquet is the cessation of bleeding. Time spent on the limb: no more than two hours in summer and half an hour in winter. To record the moment of vascular compression, the time is written on a piece of paper and secured to the affected limb.

Danger

The problem is that it is impossible to apply a tourniquet for more than the above-mentioned time interval due to poor circulation in the injured leg or arm; the tissues die. The function of the limb will then not be fully restored, and sometimes amputation becomes necessary. In addition, there is a danger of development in the area of damage (bacteria that live in the soil and multiply in living tissues in the absence of oxygen enter the wound). If the person has not yet been delivered to the hospital within the specified time, in any case the tourniquet should be loosened for a few minutes. The wound is then clamped using a clean cloth..

If the carotid artery is injured and there is bleeding from it, it is necessary to compress it with a finger and tamponade the wound with a sterile dressing. A tourniquet can be applied to the neck; a special technique is used for this to prevent suffocation of the victim. Raise the arm on the side opposite to the injury and tighten the neck with a tourniquet below places of injury along with the limb.

Video: emergency care for severe bleeding

Venous bleeding

For venous bleeding, tight bandaging or a tourniquet works well. The peculiarity of the latter’s technique is that its location is not above the site of injury, as with arterial injury, but, on the contrary, below.

With any method of stopping bleeding, the wound itself is covered with a sterile napkin or clean cloth. If pain medication is available, you can give the person an injection or a pill if they are conscious. A person lying on the ground should be covered to prevent hypothermia. The victim must not be moved or turned over.

If internal bleeding caused by injury is suspected, it is necessary to ensure the patient is completely rested and send him to the hospital as soon as possible.

Video: first aid for venous bleeding

Capillary bleeding

For capillary bleeding, a pressure method is used, including using the palm or fingers, applying a bandage, hemostatic sponges, and cold objects. With adequate functioning of the coagulation system, temporary cessation of bleeding becomes final.

Therapy after stopping bleeding in the hospital

The use of blood coagulation improving drugs, blood replacement drugs, whole blood/plasma/platelet suspension is mandatory. Intravenous fluid therapy is also necessary to restore ion balance. Since bleeding is usually not the only problem after serious traumatic incidents, in parallel with the work to stop it, doctors carry out emergency diagnosis and treatment of concomitant disorders.

The main thing is not to lose your head if something bad happens to someone around you and the person is bleeding. In order to cope with it, you can use materials from your car first aid kit, items from your own bag, items of clothing or household items.

The task and duty of every normal person is providing first aid to the victim, which consists of temporarily stopping the loss of blood. And then you should immediately take the patient to a medical facility under your own power or urgently call an ambulance.

Health 05/05/2016

Dear readers, today we will talk about an important topic. How to provide first aid for bleeding. Surely many of you have encountered this in this life. And it is on competent and timely assistance that a person’s life can depend. We have already discussed how to help ourselves and loved ones, but bleeding can also be more dangerous, for example, with deep and numerous wounds.

Injuries occur even in everyday life due to negligence, not to mention car accidents, in which sometimes the life of the injured person is literally counted in minutes. And in such cases, it is very important not to get confused, but to do everything possible to save the person. Today we will look at the types of bleeding and what you can do on your own before the ambulance arrives. We will not delve into medical terms, but will only talk about what we all need to know at our everyday level of life.

A person can lose up to 0.5 liters of blood without harm to health. A blood loss of more than 1 liter already poses a danger to the body, and a blood loss of more than 2 liters requires its immediate replenishment - otherwise death is possible. This is why it is so important for us to know how to stop bleeding.

Types of bleeding and first aid for them

In order to correctly provide first aid to an injured person, you need to know that there are different types of bleeding, this is very important, since with different bleeding, first aid measures can differ significantly. It is also important to have in your home first aid kit, and even more so in your car, everything you need to provide first aid for wounds and bleeding. Now let's look at the types of bleeding and how to recognize them correctly.

Bleeding can be external and internal, arterial, venous and capillary. Bleeding also differs in the time of its manifestation. In this case, we talk about primary bleeding, which begins immediately after the injury, or secondary bleeding, which does not develop immediately, but even over several days due to the fact that blood clots can form thrombi in the damaged vessel and then be pushed out by the blood flow , causing bleeding.

External bleeding

If bleeding occurs when the skin, nearby soft tissues or mucous membranes are damaged and are visible to any person, then we are talking about external bleeding. Such bleeding usually occurs from wounds, cuts and other injuries, and their intensity varies depending on which vessel is damaged.

Internal bleeding

Internal bleeding is not immediately visible, and only by certain indirect signs can trouble be suspected. Internal bleeding occurs when there is injury to internal organs, such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, bladder, or blood vessels located inside the body. In this case, blood loss can be so profuse that medical attention is needed immediately.

If the affected person turns pale, feels dizzy, has general weakness, tinnitus, lethargy, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure drops, a weak pulse can be heard, cold sweat appears, bleeding in the internal organs can be suspected. In such cases, symptoms increase very quickly until loss of consciousness and help is needed immediately.

Internal bleeding can occur not only as a result of injury, but also due to certain diseases. For example, stomach ulcers, malignant tumors of the stomach, gastric diverticula, the presence of polyps, diaphragmatic hernia and many others. In the case of gastric bleeding, vomiting of blood may occur, but only a specialist can determine the severity and cause of the bleeding, which means that if there is the slightest suspicion of internal bleeding, the person must be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible.

Arterial bleeding

It is equally important to distinguish which vessels are damaged during injury and cause bleeding. Arterial bleeding is most dangerous when the arteries, the largest blood vessels in our body, are damaged. Arterial blood has a bright scarlet color; from a damaged artery it not only flows out, but literally gushes out in a pulsating stream, creating a threat to life.

Signs of arterial bleeding: a large amount of blood near the victim. And the amount of blood can increase quickly. That’s why you can’t hesitate at all!

Venous bleeding

Venous bleeding differs from arterial bleeding in a much smaller volume of blood emitted, and the blood is darker in color and flows in a continuous stream. If the veins are damaged, it is easier to stop the bleeding, but if large veins are damaged, this is also life-threatening and requires immediate, correct assistance.

Capillary bleeding

Capillary bleeding is considered the least dangerous, since the blood flows from small blood vessels, and, as a rule, when many capillaries located close to the surface of the skin are damaged. In this case, the entire wound bleeds bright scarlet blood.

First aid for external bleeding

We have looked at the types of possible bleeding, now let's talk about first aid for various types of bleeding. Knowledge of first aid for external bleeding is necessary to help yourself in case of injury, as well as other people who may need this help.

Of course, first of all we will talk about life-threatening arterial or venous bleeding, when it is necessary to apply a sterile bandage and a tourniquet that blocks the blood flow in a matter of minutes. A person’s life literally depends on this.

First aid for arterial bleeding

During arterial bleeding, a person loses blood very quickly and can die from blood loss, so it is necessary in the very first minutes to stop the blood flowing from the artery by pressing the damaged artery with your fingers or fist, and then try to quickly apply a tourniquet constricting the artery. If you don’t have a medical tourniquet on hand, you can use a scarf, belt, rope or something else that can temporarily compress the damaged artery.

How to provide first aid for arterial bleeding? Rules for applying a tourniquet for bleeding .

Sterile dressing . After clamping the artery, a sterile dressing must be applied to the wound to avoid bacterial contamination of the wound. It is better if another person does this while the second one pinches the artery with his fingers.

Application of a tourniquet. If the artery is damaged in the arms or legs of a person, then the medical rubber tourniquet needs to be stretched a little and tightly wrapped around the limb in 2 or 3 turns, 2 to 3 centimeters above the wound, securing its ends. You can quickly stop blood loss before applying a tourniquet by bending your arm or leg as much as possible in the joint located above the wound, thus temporarily squeezing the artery. But if there are visible fractures, then the injured limb must be kept motionless.

A note indicating the time of application of the tourniquet. Heart rate monitoring . There must be a note placed under the tourniquet indicating the time of application of the tourniquet. The pulse in the limb bandaged with a tourniquet should not be audible. The tourniquet cannot be kept tight for more than an hour, and if during this time it was not possible to deliver the victim to the hospital, the tourniquet is loosened, the blood is allowed to drain and the tourniquet is tightened again. If the hand swells and turns blue, you need to immediately remove the tourniquet and after a while you need to reapply it.

If the wound is on the leg, then the artery should be compressed with a fist closer to the groin. Then apply a tourniquet.

If the wound is on the lower leg, a tourniquet is applied under the knee through a hard object. Anything will do: a piece of soap, a pebble, whatever you have on hand.

For a wound on the thigh, a tourniquet is also applied through a hard object. Place it closer to your groin.

Particular attention should be paid to wounds on the neck. The video, which you can watch below, clearly shows what should be done with such wounds.

Pressure bandage. After applying the tourniquet, a pressure bandage is applied to the wound itself.

We do not allow the skin to turn blue . You should not cover the place where the tourniquet is applied with clothing in order to see the condition of the wound and, if the skin turns blue, immediately loosen the tourniquet to prevent tissue necrosis, which often leads to amputation of the limb.

If the carotid artery is damaged, the tourniquet is applied only through a soft bandage and always through the shoulder or armpit, so as not to aggravate the situation and not lead to suffocation.

Urgently call an ambulance . After providing first aid, you must call an ambulance or take the injured person to the hospital yourself.

Since it is quite difficult to describe in words how to correctly apply a tourniquet for arterial bleeding when various arteries are damaged, I suggest watching a short video on this topic, which clearly shows how to apply a tourniquet in different parts of the body and what to do if the vessels of the neck are damaged.

Providing first aid for bleeding. Video

First aid for venous bleeding

Venous bleeding differs from arterial bleeding in the darker color of the blood and the blood, as I already said, flows out in a continuous stream. It must be remembered that venous blood flows from peripheral vessels to the heart, so it is necessary to clamp the vein both above and below the wound to avoid severe blood loss.

That is, the main difference between venous bleeding and arterial bleeding is that the blood flows slowly and is dark in color.

In case of venous bleeding, there is no need to apply a tourniquet. It will be enough to apply only a pressure bandage, placing a sterile bandage or napkin and a piece of cotton wool under it.

When bleeding from deep veins, the threat to life is very high, and if you see that the bleeding does not stop and the bandage is quickly soaked in blood, then the deep vein is damaged and the wounded person must be urgently taken to a hospital or emergency room. If possible, apply cold over a compressive bandage.

Look at the video on how to provide assistance for arterial and venous bleeding using improvised means and how this assistance differs.

First aid for internal bleeding

If, based on a number of signs, you suspect internal bleeding, you should urgently call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive, the person needs to be provided with fresh air and a stationary state. Make sure that the person does not move, does not talk, and do not give him anything to drink. Only a doctor can determine which internal organ is damaged, so the main thing with increasing signs of internal bleeding is emergency medical care.

Little Prince Gregory Lemarchal

Bleeding is the effusion of blood (that is, its leakage) through blood vessels as a result of a violation of the integrity of their walls. The nature of bleeding can be traumatic, which is caused by damage to blood vessels, as well as non-traumatic, which is caused by the destruction of blood vessels when exposed to one or another painful process. The types of lesions determine, accordingly, the types of bleeding, first aid for which is decisive in the efficiency of its provision, which is reflected in the consequences of the influence of the pathological process on the entire body.

Types of bleeding

As we have already indicated, damage to a particular type of vessel determines the corresponding type of bleeding.

Arterial bleeding. The flowing blood is bright red, its distinctive feature is the intensity of the pulsation of the stream.
Venous bleeding. In this case, the blood is darker in color and is released abundantly and continuously.
Capillary bleeding. Blood is released evenly along the entire surface of the lesion.
Mixed bleeding. It is characterized by a combination of the above types of bleeding, which is important for deep lesions.

Symptoms of acute blood loss

With acute blood loss, the victim looks extremely pale, while his body is covered with cold and sticky sweat. There is lethargy and dizziness. The victim experiences thirst and dry mouth. His pulse is characterized by a frequency and at the same time low filling.

Providing first aid for arterial bleeding

The main thing that is necessary to save the life of a victim, regardless of the type of bleeding, is first aid, which consists of temporarily stopping the flow and loss of blood.

The simplest method is to press the artery with fingers, not near the lesion itself, but above it, that is, in an accessible area near the bone or under the lesion. The example picture shows the points in the area of which finger pressure should be applied. It should be noted that it is precisely due to finger pressure that it becomes possible to almost instantly and completely stop bleeding. Meanwhile, even a strong person manages to hold the required point for more than 15 minutes, because this causes the hands to experience a certain fatigue, and therefore the degree of pressure weakens. Taking this into account, it can be noted that this technique is important simply because it allows you to gain some time, which is necessary to find and implement other measures to stop bleeding.

Next, a tourniquet is applied to the damaged limb, which is also done in the area above the damaged vessel. The maximum time specified for applying a tourniquet for adults is about two hours, for children – up to 50 minutes. Holding a tourniquet for a longer period of time can lead to tissue necrosis. During this period, the victim should be taken to the hospital.

Providing first aid for venous bleeding

When considering the types of bleeding and first aid for them, in addition to arterial bleeding, which is the most dangerous of the possible options, venous bleeding should not be missed. The danger of this bleeding, in addition to significant blood loss, lies in the possibility of air being absorbed through damaged areas into the vessels. Air trapped in the vessel can subsequently end up in the heart, leading to a fatal condition known as an air embolism.

Stopping venous bleeding is best accomplished by using a pressure bandage. So, clean gauze is applied to the damaged area, on top of which a bandage is placed (or, again, gauze folded several times). If these materials are not available, a clean scarf will do. In the absence of any type of pressure bandages and in case of severe bleeding, it is necessary to press the bleeding area with your fingers. Bleeding veins in the upper limb can be stopped by raising the arm up.

Providing first aid for capillary bleeding

Capillary bleeding, unlike other types of bleeding and the first aid necessary for them, is characterized by relatively small blood loss. Moreover, it can be stopped quite quickly by using clean gauze applied to the affected area. Cotton wool is placed over this gauze, after which the wound is bandaged. If these materials are not available, you can use a bandage.