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Emergency bleeding control

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Emergency bleeding control

Emergency bleeding control describes actions that control bleeding from a patient who has suffered a traumatic injury or who has a medical condition that has caused bleeding. Many bleeding control techniques are taught as part of first aid throughout the world. Other advanced techniques, such as tourniquets, are taught in advanced first aid courses and are used by health professionals to prevent blood loss by arterial bleeding. To manage bleeding effectively, it is important to be able to readily identify types of wounds and types of bleeding.

Wounds are normally described in a variety of ways. Descriptions may include wound size (length) and thickness; plainly visible wound characteristics such as shape and open or closed; and origin, acute or chronic. The most common descriptors of wounds are these:

External bleeding is generally described in terms of the origin of the blood flow by vessel type. The basic categories of external bleeding are:

The treatment of wounds depends on whether they are external or internal.

The type of wound (incision, laceration, puncture, etc.) has a major effect on the way a wound is managed, as does the area of the body affected and presence of any foreign objects in the wound. A serious wound or any complication may require a call to emergency medical services. Any wound requires being disinfected after it stops bleeding. The eyes and other delicate tissue require special products for disinfection.

Main methods of wound management are:

Direct pressure is the common method. The pressure on the wound constricts the blood vessels manually, helping to stem blood flow. When applying pressure, the type and direction of the wound may have an effect, for instance, a cut lengthways on the hand would be opened up by closing the hand into a fist, whilst a cut across the hand would be sealed by making a fist. A patient can apply pressure directly to their own wound, if their level of consciousness allows.

Ideally, a barrier, such as sterile, low-adherent gauze should be used between the pressure supplier and the wound, to help reduce chances of infection and help the wound to seal. Third parties assisting a patient are always advised to use protective latex or nitrile medical gloves to reduce risk of infection or contamination passing either way.

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