Q. What should one do if the patient is bleeding heavily?
Put pressure on the wound with whatever available to stop or slow down the flow of the blood.
Call local emergency numbers or ask for some body help to get to hospital.
Keep pressure on the wound until the help arrives.
Q. The person looks pale and feels cold and dizzy. What does this mean?
It means there isn’t enough blood flowing through the body. It can be life threatening because it can very quickly lead to other conditions, such as lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues, heart attack or organ damage. This physical response to an injury or illness is called shock.
If you suspect someone is going into shock, lie him down and lift his feet higher than the rest of his body. Such that the legs are higher than the heart in this position, which helps increase blood flow to their brain and heart.
Q. Should wound be washed?
For minor cuts and grazes, one can wash the wound to remove any dirt. Don't wash a wound that is bleeding heavily. If a wound that is bleeding heavily put under a tap, then all clotting agents will wash away and will bleed more.
Do's and Don'ts for heavy bleeding
Do’s for heavy bleeding
- Reassure victim that help is on the way
- Call ambulance immediately
- Check victim’s status regularly
- Use direct pressure to stop bleeding
- Check to see if victim’s airways are clear
- If no pulse or respiration, start CPR
- To prevent transmission of disease, use latex gloves
- Raise head if bleeding in upper body areas
- Raise feet if bleeding in lower body areas
Don'ts for heavy bleeding
- Don’t move the patient if not required
- Always suspect “spinal injury” (and don’t move the victim)
- Don’t set fractures and breaks (simply immobilize the victim)
- Use “direct” pressure to stop bleeding
- Don’t remove items imbedded in the eye
- Don’t use burn ointments
- Call emergency as soon as possible
